How to Deal With Anxiety After a Heart Attack

A heart attack is a very serious occurrence and post-attack, you might experience a mix of negative emotions like anxiety. You might be scared you will have another heart attack and will not survive. A situation like this can remind you of your mortality and make you feel vulnerable. It is normal to experience anxiety after a heart attack and you can do several things to make yourself feel better that include a mix of counseling and self-care.

Instructions

• 1

  Talk with a therapist. Professional counseling is a great way to openly discuss the experience and the resulting emotions. The therapist can offer advice and specific ways to overcome your anxiety that include coping strategies, relaxation techniques and possibly medication. You might achieve the most benefit if you undergo counseling as part of a cardiac rehabilitation program; this will allow you to meet with therapist who has specific experience dealing with patients who have had a heart attack or heart procedures.

• 2

  Reach out to family and friends. Emotional support from those close to you can reduce your anxiety and other negative emotions like depression. Spend time doing things you enjoy with those close to you. If you have a friend or family member that you feel particularly comfortable with in regards to sharing your feelings, talk to him or her; one of the best ways to reduce anxiety is openly talk about whatever is causing it. Keeping it inside only makes it worse.

• 3

  Take control of your health. While there are no guarantees in life, if you know you are doing all you can to be healthy, you might feel less anxious if you are playing an active role in your recovery and achieving a better level of health. Commit to better lifestyle choices.

• 4

  Consider joining a support group. Being around people who know what you are going through and being able to share your experiences with people who understand will make you feel better and less alone. Your local hospital is a good source of information about support groups.

• 5

  Practice relaxation techniques like meditation, deep breathing, positive visualization, listening to calming music or progressive relaxation. These techniques can relieve acute feelings of anxiety as well as reduce general feelings of anxiety as you practice them regularly over time.