I was my mother's family caregiver for nine years. As her dementia increased, my anxiety and stress increased. A friend of mine, who is a certified grief counselor, told me I was going through anticipatory grief. Everyone feels this at one time or another in their lives, yet many have never heard the term. Anticipatory grief is a feeling of loss before a death or dreaded event occurs. Her comment got me researching anticipatory grief and I continue to do it. I wrote a book about it (Lois Krahn, MD co-autthor) and have written articles about it. For quick info read "Why is Anticipatory Grief So Powerful?" on The Caregiver Space website, http://www.thecaregiverspace.org/author/hhodgson