63M
Americans are now family caregivers
1 in 4 adults (AARP 2025, up 45% in a decade)
78%
of caregivers experience burnout — most weekly or daily
57%
report high levels of stress, anxiety, and/or depression
43%
are the sole provider of care — no backup support whatsoever
Only 23%
of caregivers report having "good" mental health
A note from our founder:
"I was a caregiver.
I know what it feels like to lose yourself in someone else's need — completely, quietly, over a long time.
I know the guilt of feeling resentful toward someone you love.
I know the loneliness of being surrounded by people who care, but feeling that no one truly understands what you're carrying.
I built Therapy-Chats.com partly because I wished something like it had existed for me then."
Therapy-Chats.com
What caregivers actually feel
The things caregivers carry that are hardest to say out loud
Caregiving is described as one of the most loving things a person can do. It is also one of the loneliest. The hardest feelings are often the ones that can never be said aloud.
Guilt for having needs
How do you complain about exhaustion when the person you're caring for is suffering more? Caregivers often feel it is selfish to acknowledge their own pain — which makes them least likely to seek help.
Invisible grief
Caring for someone with dementia, terminal illness, or severe disability means mourning someone who is still alive. Anticipatory grief is one of the most isolating emotional experiences imaginable — and almost never understood by people outside caregiving.
Resentment you can't voice
Research confirms roughly 3 in 10 caregivers experience anger weekly. It is one of the most taboo emotions in caregiving. You love this person — so how can you resent them? This deserves a safe space, not suppression.
Loss of identity
Over time, the caregiver role can consume every other identity — partner, friend, professional, individual — until nothing remains that belongs to you alone. Many caregivers don't recognise this is happening until they feel entirely gone.
No support at Midnight
Caregiving doesn't stop at night. Neither does the anxiety. Friends and family stop asking after a while. A 24/7 anonymous space — where you don't have to explain everything from scratch — is what actually helps in those moments.
Financial and career sacrifice
71% of caregivers are financially struggling. Many have reduced hours or left careers. The financial anxiety compounds the emotional exhaustion. Both deserve space — and many caregivers feel they can't burden anyone with all of it at once.
Something important
You are allowed to need support.
Needing it does not make you a worse carer.
It makes you human. Caring for yourself is not a betrayal of the person you care for — it is what makes it possible to keep caring for them with patience, presence, and love.
Built around your reality
You can't book a therapy appointment when you don't know when you'll be free.
Therapy-Chats.com was built for the moments between everything else. You don't need to prepare. You don't need to explain your whole situation from the beginning. You can start where you are — for 5 minutes or for an hour — any time of day or night.
Available at 3am
When the worry won't let you sleep and calling a friend would feel like a burden.
Completely anonymous
No names required. No identifiable details needed. A private space that is entirely yours.
No appointment, ever
No scheduling, no waitlist. You open it when you can, not when it's convenient for a calendar.
No judgment, ever
The resentment, the guilt, the exhaustion, the grief, all of it is welcome here, without consequence.
Frequently asked questions
What caregivers ask most
What is caregiver burnout and how do I know if I have it?
Caregiver burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by the prolonged stress of caring for another person. Unlike ordinary tiredness, burnout does not improve with a single night's rest. Signs include chronic exhaustion sleep doesn't fix, emotional withdrawal from people you love, persistent irritability you feel guilty about, loss of interest in things that once brought joy, and a sense of being trapped. Research shows 78% of caregivers experience burnout — most weekly or daily — and 57% report high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.
Is it normal to feel resentment toward the person I'm caring for?
Yes, and it is one of the most common — and least spoken — emotions in caregiving. Research confirms roughly 3 in 10 caregivers experience anger or resentment regularly. It does not mean you love the person less. It means you are human and carrying more than one person should carry alone. The guilt that follows — "how can I feel this when they are suffering?" — makes it even harder to process. Therapy-Chats.com provides a completely private space to voice these feelings without judgment.
I feel guilty asking for help or taking time for myself. How do I deal with that?
Caregiver guilt is nearly universal. Most caregivers see the role as their sole responsibility, and taking time for themselves feels like a betrayal. But research is clear: caregivers who maintain their own wellbeing provide better, safer, more sustainable care. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Needing support does not make you a worse carer. It makes you a human being doing something extraordinarily hard.
What is anticipatory grief and can Therapy-Chats.com help?
Anticipatory grief is grief that occurs before a loss — mourning someone who is still alive but declining, or grieving the relationship you had before illness changed it. It is one of the most isolating experiences a caregiver faces, because the loss is invisible to most people around you. Therapy-Chats.com provides a safe space to process this honestly — the sadness, the longing for who they used to be, the complex guilt of grieving someone still present. This is not clinical grief counselling, but emotional support during this experience is genuinely meaningful.
I don't have time for a therapy appointment. How is this different?
This is exactly why Therapy-Chats exists for caregivers. You cannot book a 50-minute session when you don't know when you'll be free. You can't call a friend at 2am without feeling like a burden. Therapy-Chats.com is available 24/7, with no appointment, no waiting list, and no need to explain everything from the beginning each time. You can access it for 5 minutes between responsibilities or for an hour in the middle of the night when the worry won't let you sleep.
Can caregiving lead to depression? What are the signs?
Yes. A 2025 meta-analysis found that 33% of informal caregivers experience depression — significantly higher than the general population. Warning signs that burnout may be developing into depression include: persistent hopelessness that doesn't lift, complete withdrawal from social contact, inability to experience any enjoyment, lasting changes in appetite or sleep, and thoughts of harming yourself. If you are experiencing any of these, please contact a licensed mental health professional or emergency services. Therapy-Chats is an emotional support tool, not a crisis or clinical service.
I'm caring for a parent with dementia. Is my situation different from other caregivers?
Yes — and significantly so. Dementia caregivers face a particularly complex emotional journey: watching someone you love lose themselves gradually, grieving the relationship before illness changed it, managing behaviours that can be distressing, and often doing so with little acknowledgment of how hard it is. Dementia caregivers are at the highest risk of caregiver burnout and depression. The ambiguous nature of this loss — grieving someone still physically present — makes it especially difficult to process alone.
I've been a caregiver for years. Is it too late to start looking after my own mental health?
It is never too late. Many caregivers spend years placing their own needs last. When they finally create space for their own emotional wellbeing, even small acts of self-support can begin to shift the weight. Starting today, imperfectly, is better than waiting for a moment that feels right. Therapy-Chats.com requires no preparation, no appointment, and no justification. You can start exactly where you are.