The initial gratitude you feel after surviving a heart attack often gives way to waves of volatile emotions. While these ups and downs are expected after such a traumatic event, significant mental health issues can also develop.
Improving your mental health is essential for your emotional, personal, and social well-being. But there’s another reason to take it seriously: People with ongoing depression and anxiety have a higher risk of having a second heart attack.
Laura Fernandes, MD, FACC, and our team at Woodlands Heart and Vascular Institute support every aspect of your health during your recovery. We understand the emotional challenges you may experience after a heart attack, and we’re here to help.
A heart attack may leave you anxious about your long-term health. Your emotional well-being also suffers when a heart attack diminishes your ability to care for yourself. And you may have guilt over following an unhealthy lifestyle before your heart attack.
After a heart attack, most people experience difficult emotions such as:
You may overcome these emotions as you heal. But many people also develop longer-lasting mental health problems like major depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Here are five steps you can take to improve your mental health:
Cardiac rehab is a comprehensive program supporting every aspect of your recovery. Rehabilitation includes nutrition education, exercise programs, medication guidance, and lifestyle changes to restore your heart health and reduce the risk of a future heart attack.
Cardiac rehab also focuses on your emotional, psychological, and social health. The team identifies mental health challenges, provides help, and refers you to a therapist when needed.
Reducing and managing stress is crucial for your mental and physical health after a heart attack. When you’re stressed, hormones flow through your body, raising your heart rate and blood pressure.
Stress also affects mental health. Chronic stress can cause anxiety, depression, and insomnia, and affect cognitive functions like memory.
Set aside time every day to enjoy activities that relieve stress, such as:
If self-care doesn’t help, consider enrolling in a stress management class or seeking support for the specific issues causing your stress.
Regular exercise delivers a wide range of health benefits. Staying active helps reduce stress and anxiety, while also boosting your mood.
Exercise also:
If that’s not enough, then consider this: Exercise lowers your risk of another heart attack.
Replacing 30 minutes of sedentary time with low-intensity exercise like walking may lower your risk of another heart attack by 50%. Your risk drops more with moderate-intensity exercise.
Don’t worry about when it’s time to return to exercising after a heart attack. We track your recovery, letting you know when your heart is ready and providing guidelines on the type of exercise that’s safe for you.
The foods you eat can support or harm your mental health and heart health. For example, you need certain nutrients to support healthy nerves and produce the neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) that regulate mood and behavior.
Eating plans that improve your mental health are the same as those recommended for your heart. Think in terms of the Mediterranean diet, which focuses on lean protein, fish, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, and healthy plant-based oils.
Your cardiac rehab team can help you plan a healthy diet.
You may need the support of a therapist to work through lingering emotions. Additionally, mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and PTSD seldom heal without professional treatment. You may need therapy, medication, or both to restore your emotional well-being.
Schedule an appointment at Woodlands Heart and Vascular Institute to get comprehensive care after a heart attack. Call the office or book online today.
