Feelings and emotions after a heart attack

Understanding the cardiac blues

If you’ve recently had a heart attack, it’s normal to experience many different emotions. You might find yourself feeling hopeful one moment, then angry or sad the next. It can sometimes feel like you’re on an emotional roller coaster!

Feeling down or sad after a heart attack is common. It’s also known as the ‘cardiac blues’. These feelings usually go away with time and support. For some people, these feelings can lead to depression and anxiety. That’s why it’s important to recognise the symptoms so you can get help early.

Recognising depression

Most people will experience moments of sadness, grief or lack of hope after a heart attack. These feelings are usually temporary and are considered a normal response to a stressful event.

Depression is different. Depression is when you feel down or miserable most of the time. Symptoms can include:

• feeling sad, empty, without hope, frustrated, restless or irritable
• feeling guilty, worthless or having low self-esteem
• loss of interest in activities that normally bring you joy
• feeling tired or lacking energy
• sleep problems, like difficulty falling asleep or waking up too early
• appetite and/or weight changes
• withdrawing from friends and family.

Answer the two questions below to check if you should seek help from a healthcare professional:

In the last two weeks, how often have you been bothered by:

Add up the number of points from the two questions. If the total score is 3 or more, you could have depression. Make an appointment with your GP as soon as you can to find out what treatment and support is available.

Treatments for depression can include:

• psychological therapies like cognitive behaviour therapy. This type of therapy explores how your thoughts and behaviours impact how you feel.
• antidepressant medicines, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Other things that can help improve your mood include being physically active and enjoying healthy food – great for both heart and mind!

Find more information and support at Beyond Blue.

Recognising anxiety

Feeling anxious is another common emotion after a heart attack. You might be worried about having another heart attack, or practical things like when you can get back to work.

However, anxiety is more than just feeling stressed or worried. It often comes with strong physical feelings too. Symptoms of anxiety can include:

• feeling like something bad is about to happen or that you are in danger
• excessive worry about the past, present or future
• difficulty appropriately managing fears and worries
• physical symptoms like shortness of breath, dizziness/feeling lightheaded, racing or pounding heart, sweating or feeling hot, trembling/dry mouth.

Treatments for anxiety can include:

• psychological therapies like cognitive behaviour therapy. This type of therapy explores how your thoughts and behaviours impact how you feel.
• antianxiety medicines, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

There are lots of other things you can do to manage anxiety, like meditation or mindfulness, along with healthy eating and being physically active. Find more information and support at Beyond Blue.

Staying connected

After a heart attack, it’s important to stay connected with your family and/or friends. Keeping in touch with loved ones can really help with your recovery. They can offer support and encouragement if you need it. Hearing about what is going on in their lives can also be a helpful distraction from what you’re going through.

You can also connect with others through a cardiac rehabilitation program or our MyHeart MyLife online support community. They are both great ways to connect with others living with heart disease who are on a similar journey to you.

You could also consider joining a Heart Foundation Walking group. With walking groups available all over Australia, it’s a great opportunity to connect with others while also staying active!

Getting help and support

If you’re struggling with depression or anxiety, reach out for support as soon as you can. Find a list of support options below.

Need help now? Reach out to a crisis support service

• Triple Zero (000) if you are experiencing a mental health emergency
• Lifeline (13 11 14) for confidential crisis support via phone, text or online chat
• 13YARN (13 92 76) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander crisis support
• Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467) for 24/7 Australia-wide phone and online counselling support for people affected by suicide and people experiencing emotional or mental health issues