The way you cope with your feelings about having heart disease is an important part of your recovery. Coping is a response trying to prevent, avoid, or control stress. People respond to heart disease in many different ways. What works best for you may not work for someone else.
Although people are different, many have similar feelings about having heart disease. Some common feelings are denial, anxiety, depression, fear of being over-protected by family and fear of becoming an invalid. There is no reason to be afraid of having these feelings. These feelings usually do not last and by knowing about them you will be able to cope. It is important to recognize these feelings and their causes. Talk to your doctor, family, and friends about your feelings. While in the hospital, Pastoral Care is available to you. Sometimes it just helps to have someone to talk over your concerns. Ask your nurse to have someone from Pastoral Care visit you.
Anxiety
Anxiety is a normal reaction to a scary, or unknown situation. You may
feel tense, nervous, or irritable. These feelings usually come from not
knowing what to expect during your recovery, or how you will adjust at
home or what your life will be like. It is a good idea to talk about your
feelings with the people around you. Keep in mind that your family may
be afraid. Talking together can be helpful. The information you learn
in the hospital will help you feel more confident about taking care of
yourself at home. This will help reduce your anxiety.
Denial
Denial is when you think this cannot happen to me. Denial is a common
reaction because having heart disease can be overwhelming. Denial temporarily
helps to protect you from a stressful situation. Often, treatment for
heart disease is not a cure for your disease, but it may help control
your heart problem. Some changes in your life-style must be made to prevent
problems in the future. If you cannot accept your heart disease over time,
you should seek counseling.
Depression
Feeling sad, lonely, or angry are common feelings with heart disease.
These are signs of depression. Depression may result out of boredom or
inaction. Weakness can result from inactivity and this may lead you to
feel that you are not recovering fast enough. As a result you become more
inactive, and therefore weaker.
Many people become depressed after they go home. A good way to deal with the depression is to remain active. You may worry that you cannot return to your normal activities. Your strength and activity will return as you recover. Take one day at a time and set small progressive goals for yourself. Focus on what you can do, not what you cannot do.
Role
Of Family Members Or Friends
Family members may also become anxious and depressed it they do not understand
your heart disease or what to expect during recovery. This is why your
family needs to become involved in your recovery. Let them know what is
going on, and what to expect in the future. Your family and friends can
help support you if they understand. Talk to your family about changes
in responsibilities such as money, chores, child care and roles. It is
better to talk about problems and solutions than to worry about problems,
and not share them with your family.
Overprotection
Your family members or friends may become overprotective. They may be
afraid of what has happened to you and want to protect you from further
harm. These feelings are normal, up to a point. If you begin to feel angry,
frustrated, or worthless because of their reaction, tell your family or
friends. Family members need to know when they are being overprotective
and learn how to be supportive instead. It will be easier to be supportive
if they understand your recovery.
Stress
Stress alone does not cause problems with your heart. Stress is something
that everyone has. Not all stress is bad and, in fact, it can challenge
you to make life more interesting. On the other hand, too much stress
over time can be harmful to your physical and mental health. Whether stress
is good or bad depends on how you deal with it.
You cannot remove all stress from your life. You can decide how you will respond to it. The goal is to recognize stressful situations and learn how to deal with them. Learning how you react to stress, is the first step to reducing stress with measures that work best for you. Your health care team members will talk with you about how to cope with stress, if this is a concern.
Plan
To Cope
To help plan your recovery program, please think about the following questions:
- What concerns will you have the first few weeks at home?
- What do you think will help or hinder your recovery at home?
Note: This article was originally written by the Ohio State University Medical Center; Copyright April 2001