People with heart disease more likely to face mental health struggles
“You just feel, sometimes, very depressed.”
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Vicki Shepard is very aware of how her heart health impacts her physically, but she says it also impacts her mental health.
“You just feel, sometimes, very depressed,” said Shepard, who lives with diastolic heart failure. “You’re fearful. Is it going to happen again? Can you get through a day? What is the impact on my work? Are people going to think different about me?”
She’s not alone. Research shows a stronger connection between heart disease and mental health, with one in three people with heart disease facing mental health issues.
“One thing I see pretty frequently is people just having fear or anxiety about doing things they previously did,” said Dr. Catherine Lindley, a cardiologist with Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Dr. Lindley says they’ve added extra support for patients.
“I really advocate for patients to receive mental health counseling to help them sort of get through this challenging time.”
Dr. Lindley says patients who’ve experienced a heart event also often fear exercise possibly triggering another heart attack. But because exercise is beneficial for mental health, she recommends patients talk to their doctor about cardiac rehab.
“It allows people to kind of get back into physical shape, while providing a safe environment where patients can kind of build up their confidence that it’s safe for them to begin exercising again. So not only does that structured exercise provide benefit for their heart, it also helps naturally improve levels of hormones in the body that actually help improve mental health as well,” said Lindley.
Shepard says her lifestyle changes have reinforced a positive attitude she thinks is critical.
“Talking to a loved one is critical. I was told I had two to five years to live… I just passed seven years,” she said. “So for me, it’s eating right, exercising and living with purpose. And that is what helps me through my struggle.”
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