Outskirts Press, INC.

You Care for Everyone Else. Who Is Caring for You? Caregiving begins with love. But somewhere between the appointments, sleepless nights, difficult decisions, changing relationships, and endless responsibilities, it can become easy to lose sight of one very important person: yourself

Self-Care Is Not Selfish: A Caregiver’s Quiet Journey Through Dementia and Love is a compassionate guide for those navigating the emotional realities of caring for someone they love. Drawing from more than two decades of experience walking alongside individuals living with dementia, older adults, and their families, Lauren R. Mahakian offers the understanding, encouragement, and practical perspective caregivers so often need but rarely give themselves.

Through heartfelt stories, thoughtful reflections, practical guidance, and gentle reminders, you will explore how to:

• Recognize the invisible emotional and physical weight of caregiving
• Release guilt and give yourself permission to rest
• Accept help without feeling that you have failed
• Navigate grief, frustration, exhaustion, and changing relationships
• Reconnect with your identity beyond the role of caregiver
• Find meaningful moments of joy, connection, and renewal
• Care for yourself with the same compassion you give so freely to others

Whether you are caring for a spouse, parent, family member, friend, client, or resident, these pages offer a place to pause, reflect, and remember that your well-being matters, too.

Caring for yourself does not mean caring less. It means recognizing that you are part of the care equation.

Because the person who gives so much of themselves to others deserves care, compassion, and grace, too.