Your Emotional Health After a Heart Attack
Having a heart attack not only affects your body, but also your emotions. Working through your emotions after a heart attack is a vital part of the recovery process.
Having a heart attack not only affects your body, but also your emotions. It’s a scary, life-changing event. It can bring up a range of big feelings. And it can affect each person in a different way. But it’s important to know that this is part of the journey. And working through your emotions after a heart attack is a vital part of the recovery process.
What you may be feeling
You may feel a lot of things after your heart attack, such as:
Shock and denial. You may feel a sense of shock or disbelief after a heart attack. You may need to give yourself time to accept that it happened.
Fear and anxiety. You may fear that you will have another heart attack. You may worry about what you eat and drink. And you may worry about physical activity and sex. Anxiety can feel overwhelming.
Anger and frustration. You may feel anger, frustration, or resentment at your body, yourself, or your life. You may have a short temper around other people.
Grief and loss. You may feel you have lost your health. You may grieve for the lifestyle you had.
Loss of confidence. You may feel less confident than you did before.
Loneliness. You may feel more alone than you did before, even when people are around.
Depression. This means you feel sad, hopeless, or lose interest in things for more than 2 weeks. Depression after a heart attack is not uncommon.
Post-traumatic stress. Some people have symptoms of post-traumatic stress after a heart attack. You may have flashbacks or nightmares about when it happened.
Your support team for recovery
You are not alone in your recovery journey. Your doctors, counselor, therapist, family, and friends are part of your support team. Talking about your experiences and feelings will help lighten your mental burden. And it will guide your team in how to help you. Be open with your support team. Tell them if you don’t feel better, or you feel worse. They can help you find resources and treatments.
Joining a support group
A heart attack survivors' support group can help you work through this time. Your healthcare team can help you find one in your area. You can talk to and hear from people who have gone through the same thing. This can give you a sense of hope, connection, and inspiration.
You can also find support from groups like these:
Mended Hearts, mendedhearts.org
WomenHeart, www.womenheart.org
Working with a counselor
Counselors and therapists can help people get through difficult times. And they can help them learn ways to cope in the future. You can talk about your thoughts and stresses, and learn tools for managing anxiety and depression. Some mental healthcare providers are licensed to prescribe medicines as needed.
Ways to feel better
Educate yourself. Now is a good time to learn more about heart health and healthy lifestyle changes. Learn more about your heart condition and treatment. This knowledge will give you the power to be active in your healing process. And it can reduce your anxiety.
Set small goals. Set step-by-step goals for your recovery that you can achieve. Celebrate each milestone.
Learn some relaxation tools. Practices such as deep breathing, meditation, and yoga can lower stress and anxiety.
Get a bit of physical activity. When your doctor says it’s OK, get some light physical activity again. Start by walking in the fresh air, or whatever activity is advised by your doctor. Exercise releases endorphins. These are hormones that can boost your mood and reduce stress.
Don’t hesitate to ask for help. It’s important to remember that asking for help is not a weakness. It means you are taking an active role in your recovery and life. It means you want to get better sooner.
When to contact your healthcare provider
Contact your healthcare provider if you have any of these:
Feelings of anxiety or distress that are not better, or are worse
Big changes in sleeping patterns or appetite
Signs of depression that last for 2 weeks or more
When to call or text 988
If you are in a crisis or have thoughts of suicide or self-harm, call or text 988 right away. This is the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You will be connected to a trained counselor you can talk to. You can also chat with them at 988lifeline.org/chat. The 988 Lifeline services are free and available 24/7.
Give yourself time
Working through your emotional health after a heart attack is a vital aspect of recovery. It takes time to do this. Your journey includes recognizing how you feel, getting support, and building your coping tools. This gives you the power to improve your well-being. Remember that you are not alone. Reach out to your healthcare team, and to family and friends whenever you need help. With time, you will feel better and better.