Having a heart attack, heart surgery or other cardiac event generally comes as a huge shock. Around 75% of people experience the ‘Cardiac Blues’ after a heart event, with unexpected changes in mood and emotions, including sadness and tearfulness, anger and irritability, worry and anxiety, confusion and forgetfulness, withdrawal from friends and family, and loss of interest in life, amongst other symptoms. Many people worry whether they will ever get back to normal.
These feelings are common and are a normal part of recovering from a heart event, especially in the first few weeks or months.
You may find it hard to believe you had a heart problem.
You might find it hard to accept that this has happened to you.
You may worry that you will never get back to your old self. You might be fearful about dying.
You may become frustrated and irritated about the changes in your life.
You may feel low and miserable. Or your mood might be up and down.
You may feel relieved or thankful that your heart disease has been diagnosed and treated.
The good news is…
For most people, the cardiac blues resolve in the first few weeks or months after the heart event. So, you can expect your mood to gradually improve. While the cardiac blues is challenging, it will not affect your recovery overall.
Around one in three people develop serious anxiety and one in five develop depression after a heart event.
You may need to seek professional help if your mood is not improving or is getting worse during the months after your heart event.
You are at increased risk of developing serious anxiety or depression if you have had anxiety or depression in the past prior to your heart event, or if you have other risk factors such as being isolated, stressed about work or finances, recently bereaved or divorced/separated, or if you have other health problems (see list).
It is important to let the people who support you know about how you are feeling. You need to talk with your healthcare team about your concerns about your feelings and thoughts and this could include your general practitioner, cardiologist, cardiac rehab staff or psychologist, depending on who is involved in your care.
There are support options available to you and it is not necessary, or advised, to brave it alone.
Specialised psychological support is available Australia-wide through the
Cardiac Psychology Clinic at Neurocentrix
Phone: (03) 9546 0009
Email: hearthealth@neurocentrix.com.au
Website: neurocentrix.com.au/cardiac-psychology-clinic
The Cardiac Psychology Clinic staff have extensive experience in supporting the emotional and psychological recovery of individuals after a heart event.
Sign up to receive early access to webinars, exclusive opportunities, and stay up-to-date on the latest industry news, guidelines, and practical resources.
By submitting this form you agree to be added to our mailing list. You may receive occasional updates and promotional materials. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Eugene has extensive experience in cardiovascular health as a clinician, educator, health promotion professional, improvement advisor and quality improvement lead for statewide heart health initiatives.
As a registered nurse, Eugene began his acute experience in tertiary hospitals in Cardiothoracic surgery and Cardiology, before moving to a rewarding role as a heart failure nurse with the Hospital Admission Risk Program supporting Victorians to manage their heart health and live well at home.
After a decade of clinical acute care, Eugene transitioned to health promotion, where he led national patient support programs for the Heart Foundation. Four years later, Eugene moved into quality improvement and program management at Safer Care Victoria where he managed a team to design, deliver and evaluate six cardiovascular projects in over 29 hospitals. Projects Eugene has led have focussed on secondary prevention, digital health, reducing unplanned readmissions, and bringing high quality cardiac care closer to home for regional patients.
Eugene is passionate about heart health, equity, and supporting and coaching clinicians to provide better high-quality care for Australians. Outside of work, Eugene enjoys time with his family with two energetic young sons, philosophy, running and travel.
