Hello everyone, I’m 59 and had my heart attack just over two months ago. It resulted in me having 3 stents fitted. I was on medication for depression and anxiety for a long time before and thought I was doing ok. Since then though I’m really struggling with what’s happened mentally and my anxiety has risen dramatically. I’m back at work in the office and I’m no longer able to do my previous job on the shop floor. It’s a very strenuous job and I’ve been advised not to do it anymore. I’ve reduced my hours but it’s all left me feeling just a bit part now. I’m constantly thinking about what’s happened in my life and if and when it’ll happen again. I’ve got a wonderful wife and daughters who are all nurses and are always there for me. Their support has got me through it so far, it’s the depression and anxiety I’m struggling with.
Struggling mentally after heart attack. - British Heart Fou...
Struggling mentally after heart attack.
dear Nunk
A couple of things have helped me. First it was not your heart attack, it was a heart attack. You didn’t choose it, you didn’t want it. So don’t call it my heart attack.
Second, I bought a tinnitus relaxer. Helps me relax and helps me to sleep.
Last…think of what you can do next year. Or next month. Not what you can no longer do.
You have been given your life back, so try to appreciate and enjoy your life.
Best wishes
Sooty
Thank you Sooty.
Yes that's right Sooty, I was given a second chance to have my life back! Nunk is so lucky and blessed,wow, 3 nurses in the house 🏠 send them to me for a month please 👌😁
Hi Nunk, I am sorry to hear what you are going through. Like you, I am lucky to have my wife and family being really supportive.
I can’t say anything about heart attack, But It is really tough with all these changes physically and emotionally. For me I am trying to look forward few months from now when I can resume normal life again and believe things going to be alright, It helps and try controlled breathing whenever I feel anxious.
Sorry you are going through this, it is daunting. Were you offered cardiac rehab? Sometimes it helps to talk to someone outside of your family and friends. Think of small things you have control of, diet, exercise, things to look forward to. You will get stronger
Thank you Yoghurt, my rehab appointments only just come through this week. I’m expecting a phone call next Tuesday.
Think positive Nunk- this is the best advice I can offer- I felt good when I came out of my clinic- I felt in control as I found things I may have not found out about---there are positives- take care W.
Hi Nunk - I’ve found the cardiac rehab and appointments a big help and hopefully you can too. I’m coming at this from the ‘second chance’ angle but appreciate how things are different for everyone - I guess this has made me appreciate things a bit more - I was always over stressed and over thinking. One step at a time and I hope things improve for you very soon.
Brilliant Nunk 👍🙏I never was able to do that Rehab as travelling 24 miles from home and back, pay for parking at the hospital in Harrogate, was too costly I thought at that time and my legs caused me pain whilst walking especially in my calves! Excruciating for a few months until it slowly got better!
In hindsight I should have gone to the offered Rehab! Pity I didn't 👍
My little city doesn't offer Rehab after heart attack as such! They might do now 🤷 but waiting times could be long!
But I so wish you a good recovery, physical and mentally Nunk!
Even on this heart forum it's good to share our experiences before and after and sporn each other on, encourage one another, listen to each other and enjoy being "HEARTIES"! 🥰🫂😁
WELL when you get to your Rehab Sessions, enjoy them and have fun Nunk 👌🥰
Rehab will be the best thing you can do for your confidence. Exercise under supervision will prove to you that you CAN live. without fear of it happening again. I had a heart attack 5 years ago, two stents but I was told I had two more partial blockages that at 64 % blocked weren't bad enough to stent and blood was flowing freely. Of course that's left me constantly wondering whether they have got worse. The HA however left me feeling as if I'd been given a second chance that my mum didn't get. I made all the changes I could and tried to get on with life. The medical profession are no help at all. IT's like "We fixed yoru plumbing now go away". They never address the enormous mental impact it has on us. We've suddenly been faced with our own mortality, of course it causes depression and anxiety . You wouldn't be human otherwise. BUT You are not a sufferer, you're a survivor. You have a chance to make changes wherever necessary and with modern medicine you can go ahead and live a pretty much normal life. Rehab will do wonders for your confidence. 5 years on I'm still not happy about driving any distance on my own but I'm no longer waking up wondering if today will be my last or letting it affect what I do and the side effects of the flipping tablets have finally subsided.. 70 was a massive milestone for me because I'd survived longer than my mum who had heart failure for 50 years.. I've now beaten my dad. GO on, enjoy your life.
Hello 
It comes as a real shock when you have a heart attack I was just about your age maybe just a bit younger when I had my first heart attack
I ended up having a triple heart Bypass
That was 2 and a half years ago now and I am still struggling with the mental health side of things now
I also had anxiety before having a heart attack which I am not sure if that affects us more when we are a sufferer or not as so many post as well that have never had anxiety how it has affected their Mental Health
Our bodies seem to heal quicker than our brains take to come to terms with it and adjust to a new way of life for some but given time that new way can be better than the one you had before
Members on here have gone to achieve more than they ever did before their heart event and are fitter but it takes time and we all go at a different pace but it is where we finish that matters
The more you worry about how you feel and I know it is not easy I worry all the time but I know also it holds us back
Adapting and accepting is difficult to but if we can it makes it easier
I see you will be starting Rehab soon and that will benefit you so much it might be just what you need to help you through how you feel at the moment
Talk to the Rehab Nurses while you are there they will reassure you this is quite a normal reaction you are having
If you feel really low it could be an idea to speak with your Doctor maybe the medications you take for your anxiety and depression could be adjusted or even some talking therapy might benefit you to
Try and focus on the positives you are here a wonderful wife and Daughters and realise you have had a major event happen in your life one that will take time to recover from but you will and even if it has to be adapted how you move forward see that as a new chapter one that might eventually be better than the one you had before
Keep talking and know how you feel is quite normal and you are very much loved by your family who will not think you are any less than you were before
Let us know how that Rehab goes x
Your attitude accounts for everything after a heart episode- stay positive!!!
Hi there your story is near a mirror to mine. I was 57 in 2019 when I had one out of the blue, it totally threw my life upside down. I struggled for a long time with anxiety, worry you name it but with great support from my wife and family I’ve made sense of it all, I still have a wobbly but you will get to peace with it . Good luck
Hi Nunk, I had a heart attack and stent fitted and it took quite a while to feel myself again. Some days I felt better than others but I was quite fit beforehand and yet afterwards I found strenuous activity difficult. It’s early days for you so take it easy and do the cardio rehab plus a bit of walking to get your physical activity back up. A year later I still didn’t feel quite right and I had a private consultation with a cardiologist as I found it difficult to get to speak to my NHS doctors. He said all was good and took me off the bisoprolol I was taking ( went on to Ramipril instead) which seemed to make me feel a lot brighter. Not sure if it was his reassuring words that all was fine or the drug switch that helped, maybe both. So just take your time and ask for advice if you don’t feel right. It’s a big event for your body to get over but it will get better given time and some rehab activity. Good luck. Charlie
Hi.
6 days before my 54th when I had a HA and 4 stents. That was 2 years back and it’s been a rollercoaster since. But if it’s like my trajectory it WILL get better for long periods and you CAN enjoy the time you may not have otherwise had. Expect some dips but you’ll get through them. And remember, although always get concerns checked, the drugs can also give you symptoms even though your heart is working fine. Hope you get to a better feeling soon.
This may be simplistic but anxiety and stress are close bedfellows. Very many on this forum state they find the mental health aspects of their heart condition difficult to cope with.
I would divide these into two non scientific groups.
The first is where the person has been affected by their heart for some time, perhaps in pain or find it difficult to cope and may not be working full time.
In those circumstances, having work done to correct the problem is likely to relieve their pain and anxiety and improve their lifestyle.
The second group are those to whom a heart attack came out of the blue. One day they thought they were perfectly healthy, the next they are in hospital scheduled for a scary operation .
I would suggest that the first group who can see an improvement over their circumstances and had been "expecting" that they would need work, are likely to feel less anxious and more confident than those who suddenly find they are a heart patient and have to make all sorts of unwanted changes.
You are not a spare part in the office Nunk, even after stents it took me a year to fully recover 👌 I was a kitchen porter then and 5 months after my scenario I was back in kitchen, but didn't do heavy lifting! But in August, 7 months after, I did everything again! Be patient and keep exercising and building up your strength! I did struggle after my heart attack as living alone, no driving for a month 😏🚙 was hard, but my children rallied round me from every UK corner for 2 weeks to ensure I was looked after!
What helped me the most mentally was my faith in Jesus Christ, reading about his love for me in the Gospels!
I often struggle with my mental health like depression but I won't allow it now to get hold off me again!
The sudden outbreaks of wars shook me and saddened me immensely! But if I channel my emotions and thoughts in prayer to my heavenly Father, I feel lighter in my Spirit and know, no matter what comes, he looks after me! Nunk God bless you 🙏🥰
Hi Nunk. All so relatable and some great advice from others already. I had HA and 2 stents at 42 and mentally it was so tough. What changed was getting back my confidence to do things physically again and adjusting to my limits but still pushing incrementally. It took time, it really did. Cardiac rehab was a massive help and set me on the right path. 2 years on, I still think about it every day as it doesn’t and won’t go away, but the impact on me is less. I’m physically and mentally fitter than I’ve been in years. You will eventually take the positives from what happened - 2 months post-HA is no time at all. Good luck 🤞
You have been through a very traumatic event and I too would feel anxious after such an event, please speak to your GP about this it maybe more common than you think.We all cope with stress and anxiety in different ways and you clearly have an excellent supportive network in your family and that alone is a huge blessing.
Try and get the courage to speak to your GP out mental health is just as important as our physical health.
Sending you a virtual hug.
Hi Nunk I too had my HA age 59 out the blue, long story short they couldn’t fit stent so an emergency bypass same day, this all happened so quickly, I didn’t fare well with the intensive care side of things the drugs I was on played with my mind, I done all the cardio exercises and have followed to the book everything I have been told I also have high cholesterol and diabetes, for me the turning point was getting some help I seen a psychologist for best part of a year and bit by bit I got there at one point I couldn’t string a sentence without crying and being scared all the time, I learned some coping mechanisms and for me it worked, please think about talking to someone, I am not cured but I deal with what happened ( for me there will always be a fear) I wish you all the best with your recovery, keep talking do t bottle things up.😊
Hi Nunk,
As has already been mentioned, think to the future. I had a heart attack just over a year ago, was blue-lighted in to St Peters at Chertsey where I had 2 stents fitted overnight & a further 3 stents within a few days. Obviously the heart went ballistic with all the fiddling about but one of the nights I had a really vivid dream as if I was floating above the world & when I awoke I had a feeling of complete peace & being treasured. I have never been overtly religious but this episode was wonderful , and I feel the man upstairs has given me a second chance.
It took a little while to get over the constant tiredness, but about 6 months ago I had an ICD and so I am now bionic! I am still not quite as fit as before but getting better all the time, and my GP is monitoring my meds to 'fine-tune' things as my libido is zero, but I feel it is just a matter of time to improve things and I am so grateful to the wonderful NHS staff for the fabulous treatment.
So Nunk, look to the future with a positive attitude and embrace it, spread love around your family & friends as material things have no value when you are lying in that hospital bed.
Good luck!
Hi Nunk, I had a heart attack & cabg in July & have days were I struggle too. I'm back at work now but have lost alot of confidence & feel pretty anxious too. I live alone so try not to think about the 'what ifs' I was alone when I had my heart attack & got through that. I'm sure everyone on here has struggled at times with the reality of heart issues. Lean on your family & talk about how you feel. I really found the support from the Cardiac nurses amazing so I hope you feel the same once you start the classes. I hope you're feeling better asap
Hey Nunk , I totally get how you feel although I luckly have never had a heart attack. I do have angina amongst other things and have been diagnosed with depression many years ago since my angina diagnoses I have had this feeling that I don't have long left ...irrational as that is its hard to shift out of my head when I read your post three things popped into my head and I'm going to say them cause one of them might help you
Firstly my Dad had a triple bypass at 54 way back in the day he was a very short ,round fella who always found a solution to whatever came his way in life after he took the time to recover he decided to change the work he was doing which was driving for a living (a lot of sitting down ) he applied for a got the potion of shire horse keeper at the Hulingham club in London .( he had loved horses since he was a boy ) it was very hard work especially when your only 5feet tall but he loved it and stayed there until he's retirement. He went on to live until he was almost 90 🙂
Second thought , maybe being surrounded by nurses although lovely and very handy is reminding you that you have been unwell and as they arevyour family they cant help but worry over you more than they would one of their patients? and therefore allowing the anxiety in you to rise (I can wallow in my misery sometimes if I'm honest with myself instead of getting on and making the most of what I have)
Third thought
My neighbour is 70 and has very bad knees and liver siroses that is proberbly spelt wrong 😉anyhow he had to give up the booze and his job as a taxi driver and then he lost his wife , it was very tough for him but last week he told me that he has joined the local 'Man shed' where he gets to chat to other fellas that have mental and physical issues or are just plain lonely , he loves it and is talking about turning the bedroom on the other side of my wall into a work shop ( shock horror )
As you have to work part time for a while maybe you could find a Manshed near you where you can have a chat about stuff that you don't want to to your wife and daughters ? Just saying it might be a start in the right and positive direction ... if only I was a fella I would join the Man shed myself .
Sorry if this is the most random and long post you've ever read .
I wish you well Jx
Hi nunk,one breath at a time,one step at a time, one day at a time,the most scariest, traumatic event I ever experienced and I've had some difficult episodes in my 59 years,but you'll get there,your stronger than you think, give yourself a clap on the back for getting this far in your recovery and good luck 👍
Hello, just wanted to say I entirely understand and can relate to your journey. Despite being very positive after a heart attack,about my second chance, I struggled mentally with how my work life was forced to change. The way colleagues treated me too. I sort of lost my identify and felt less of myself. Took me about 2 years, I liken it to a bereavement but I'm okay with it now. Life seems easier, don't know what changed but I think I just came to accept it. I wish you well.
Hello Nunk, I’m sorry to read your post and what you are going through. I think the majority of us who have had a HA can get fixed physically but the mental side takes a lot longer and especially if you suffer from anxiety and depression already. Like you I was extremely scared following my HA last year and for about three weeks when I went to bed, I daren’t close my eyes in case I didn’t wake up. I worried about how my other half would cope without me…. Just everything went through my head. But I attended the cardiac rehab classes and have met like minded people there. I received so much help from the cardiac nurses and one of them told me I must trust the medication. I’m doing all I can to avoid another event (eating well, still working on the exercise, resting and taking the meds). I have it in my head now that I am NOT going to have another HA and that I’m no where near ready to go anywhere soon. So please ask for some help from the cardiac nurses, speak to your wife and in time you will turn a corner. As for work, it’s very early days for you but can you speak to someone close or a manager and explain how you feel. You’re not a spare part but I imagine you will just feel rubbish and wonder when you will get back to your normal. Give yourself time, you’ve had a shock, you need time to adjust and accept all of this but you will feel better if you speak to people you can trust. Speak to your GP and visit this forum to share your thoughts and feelings. I have had so much encouragement from people who have walked in our shoes so we are not alone. Take care and trust the meds! ❤️🧚🏼♀️
Hi,
Sorry to hear about your anxiety, but quite understandable.
I had an ICD fitted 4 years ago and have suffered from anxiety ever since. However this summer I followed a course called SilverCloud and it's really helped. It's a free course available from the NHS. You can get this via your doctor or if you look at the NHS website you can self-refer. Good luck and all the best.
Have had two heart attacks 7 stents various other health issues and finally been diagnosed with mixed dementia. After all of this I have always had a very positive mind. I feel lucky to be still here and always look to the future not dwell on the past. All the very best to you.
Thank you everyone who’s replied to my post, so many kind and warm hearted responses. I’ll keep referring to them as the days and weeks go by. So many similar experiences and helpful advice is just what I need in my recovery. This truly is a wonderful website for people like me reaching out. I hope many others benefit from it just like I’m doing.
Hi there, I had my HA over 2 yrs ago now. I never suffered with anxiety prior to this but like a lot of people will tell you, you feel every twinge your body has and that sets the anxiety off. Don't get me wrong, there are still the odd occasions where I feel something and wonder BUT I try to put my mind elsewhere and it subsides. Looking back, the biggest lesson I've realised is that I should have pushed myself more back then. I personally feel I've wasted so much time whilst feeling like that. I'm not suggesting you are wasting time as we all react differently but I hope you can find the strength to keep moving forward 😀
Hi Nunk,I can completely understand how you feel!!. I've had 3 heart attacks!! One in 2021, then another in 2022, then one in January of this year!! They WERE MY heart attacks!! They were NOT anyone else's!! They happened to me!! Yes, I neither asked for them nor wanted them, but I had them anyway!! The emotional/ psychological effect of all of this was way worse than the physical effects of the heart attacks!! I had 2 stents and both arteries and stents collapsed resulting in me having a double cabg in January of this year. The physical recovery of that wasn't too bad at all!! The emotional effects however , were very difficult to deal with. It took me months to stop crying!! The heart is the organ that keeps you alive, and when something happens to it it changes us forever!! You start to wonder if you can still do things you used to? any sensation in your chest area you automatically think it could be your heart!!?? Your confidence takes a huge dip. We are all different in the way we deal with this, and even what we would advise!! What matters is what's right and comfortable for YOU!! Take each day as a new day. Try to end each day by thinking of ONE positive thing that has happened. It's so easy to think.about all the things you can no longer do!! It took me a long time to stop doing that!! It was like a bereavement for me!! As if I was grieving for a previous life where I was fit and healthy and invincible!! I wasn't!! My heart wasn't doing very well!! My situation is genetic where all the females in my family have had heart related issues. I now eat more healthily, try to exercise , and I'm slowly beginning to think less about my mortality. It takes time!! Baby steps every day. You WILL get there I promise you. Take good care. Please get in touch if you have anything you would like to talk about. I am more than happy to help if I can.
I’m 71, all that follows has been in the last 5 months. I had a silent heart attack, discovered by chance. 5 days later had PCI with 2 stents. Then they found a leaky Aortic valve so three and a bit weeks after that I had AVR and CABG. The latter was to deal with an artery that they didn’t stent as it wasn’t needed, future proofing is how it was described. Just over 5 weeks in hospital was a shock to the system as I’ve been reasonably fit and healthy all my life. I’ll admit to some nerves for the AVR & CABG but then I thought what have I got to lose.
With encouragement from my rehab team I did the first ever Parkrun in my life, that was exactly 3 months after my OHS and 17 weeks after my cardiac event. I’ve now done 8 and I am fitter than I have been for years. I’ve improved my time by over 4 minutes since starting the runs and I’m really enjoying them.
My approach was to accept what had happened and then grasp the opportunity for a ‘second’ life where I could get back to doing the things I love and enjoy, and some new things too. Of course my family can also enjoy my company for years to come and I can enjoy theirs.
So it is all about the future, not the past or what has happened to us, it is about what we can do going forward.
Hi NunkV sorry to hear about your situation. I can relate to your predicament almost entirely. I had my HA July 2022 aged 58. 3 stents followed. Anxiety everyday. Make sure you attend Rehab classes it will give you a lot of confidence back. Rest assured life will get much better over time.
My sympathies - I had a CABGx4 in 2017 and 6 stents this year when it became clear the grafts had failed. The mental impact is hard. The only remedy for me is going to the gym at least 5 days a week and building up my fitness. Exercise is the best mental and physical therapy. You have to force yourself.
Hi Nunk
Hope you’re doing ok. I felt similar to you following my HA and fitting of three stents over two procedures. I think it’s totally understandable and it took me many many months before feeling more confident about things. But it does get better honestly.
hello there I recently suffered a heart attack too in the last couple of months. I am a 47 year old single dad and I can entirely relate to how you are feeling too. I have also struggled to come to terms with what’s happened and have been suffering a lot psychologically. I wish I could give you some salving answers but am also still really working through it all. But the help and advice I have had on this forum and the kindness and hearing other relate their similar experience has been really helpful. It’s all a massive event and change to take in, my only advice right now is be kind to yourself.
Best wishes Oliver
Hi N (don't like to call you Nunk!!)
Just wanted to say you are not alone my hubby had a heart attack end of March and had to have a triple heart by-pass he is struggling to accept what happened as it came from no where he is 64 I also have heart conditions two metal valves and Afib, like others are saying do the Rehab my hubby went and he is not a Gym person but was able to talk to them and felt they understood what he was trying to say, my hubby found after, he has been able to do a little of his old routine he feels better and is able to think that he can do what he used to be able to do (which he thought after he came straight out of hospital!!) but does not work like that. Think positive try and have some things to look forward to and let your wife and daughter look after you, if you can ( If you are like my hubby can be very independent and does not like to think he is not able to do it himself) we also have an only daughter and although we feel that our lives are not our own anymore we would not have it any other way
Best wishes
Hi I can relate to how your feeling I had the anxiety and worry constantly after having my stent done I just felt like my life was over and I felt like a ticking time bomb worry about every twinge in my chest and if I was going to drop down dead I talked to someone else who had previously gone through the same thing I opened up to them and told them I’m worrying and feel so depressed I’m constantly worrying what if the stent block and once they was able to relate that it’s perfectly normal and life will return to normal I now find that I don’t worry so much and concentrate on my wife and kids it’s a big blow when you have heart problems I guess it makes us realise that we’re not immortal and that starts the anxiety to kick in enjoy each day and take care kind regards Andy
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