A Heart Attack . . . And Beyond

A heart attack! You feel both frightened and bewildered. Your self-concept is forever transformed. The sudden change from “being well” to “recovering” is devastating. Strange physical sensations leave you feeling out of control of your own body. A flood of preoccupation with death and sometimes an overwhelming fear of mortality is a constant companion. Your daily habits have suddenly been disrupted. The luxury of a peaceful morning with a leisurely stroll or a cup of coffee is a distant memory. Will you ever be able to work again? Play with your grandchildren? Hike? Fish? Go camping? You may find other questions obsessively popping up. Why did this happen? What could I have done to prevent it? What can I do to avoid this happening again? When will it happen again? You’ve never been a schedule type of person, yet now you’re tied to doctors’ appointments, hospital tests, and new medications with different side effects. It’s almost a full-time job to cope with this endless list of stressors.

You’ll know you have this problem if:

• Your heart feels like an unpredictable time bomb that could go off at any time.
• You feel sad or depressed for an extended period after your heart attack.
• You’re restless and worried, or just plain scared about the future.

A few tips to get past this extreme life change are:

• To lessen fears, start getting correct and complete information. When the time is right, make decisions to resolve the most troublesome issues. Consider what your minimal positive response would be, and slowly integrate it into your lifestyle.
• Make a commitment to be a “regular” at cardiac rehabilitation through your hospital. Personalized plans of care include exercise and learning, not to mention social contacts and support.
• Decide if what you’re worrying about is something you can change . . . or not. If this is a needless worry, shift your perspective to a problem-solving mode.