About one in five who have a heart attack are found to have depression soon after the heart attack. And it’s at least as prevalent in people who suffer heart failure.
Managing both heart health and depression can be challenging, but there are strategies you can employ to take care of yourself. Here are some tips to help you stay heart-healthy even when you’re feeling depressed:
1. Seek professional help: It’s crucial to reach out to a healthcare professional if you’re experiencing depression. They can provide an accurate diagnosis and recommend appropriate treatment options such as therapy, medication, or a combination of both.
2. Stay connected: Depression often leads to isolation, but maintaining social connections can be beneficial for both mental and heart health. Reach out to friends, family, or support groups for emotional support and companionship.
3. Engage in regular physical activity: Exercise is not only beneficial for mental well-being but also for heart health. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise each week. Start with small, achievable goals and gradually increase your activity level.
4. Follow a heart-healthy diet: Eating a nutritious diet can positively impact both your mental and cardiovascular well-being. Focus on consuming fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Limit processed foods, saturated fats, and added sugars.
5. Manage stress: Chronic stress can impact both depression and heart health. Incorporate stress management techniques into your daily routine, such as deep breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, or engaging in hobbies that you enjoy.
6. Get enough sleep: Aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night. Establish a consistent sleep routine, create a conducive sleep environment, and practice good sleep hygiene to improve both your mental and heart health.
7. Limit alcohol consumption: Excessive alcohol consumption can worsen depression symptoms and have detrimental effects on heart health. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation, which means up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men.
8. Take medications as prescribed: If you are on medication for heart health or depression, ensure that you take them as prescribed and attend regular follow-up appointments with your healthcare provider.
9. Practice self-care: Engage in activities that bring you joy and relaxation. It could be hobbies, spending time in nature, practicing mindfulness, or engaging in creative outlets.
10. Communicate with your healthcare providers: Keep your healthcare providers informed about your mental health condition and any changes in symptoms. They can work collaboratively to ensure that your heart health and depression are appropriately managed.
Remember, it’s essential to work closely with healthcare professionals to develop a comprehensive plan that addresses both your heart health and depression. They can provide personalized guidance and support based on your specific needs.
Depression is reported in over 7% of Americans ages 18 and older, and the figure can be as high as 20% for post-heart attack patients.
When you experience depression, anxiety or stress your heart rate and blood pressure rise, there’s reduced blood flow to the heart and your body produces higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. Over time, these effects can lead to heart disease. Depression and anxiety can also develop after cardiac events, including heart failure, stroke and heart attack.
Feeling “down” for a bit after your heart event is normal. Your feelings of sadness and worry should gradually go away within a few weeks as your health improves and you start getting back to your normal routine and activities.
But those symptoms don’t always ease up. Up to 15% of people with cardiovascular disease experience major depression. Symptoms of clinical depression that may emerge after heart surgery, a heart attack or another heart condition include:
After a heart attack, your doctor might recommend a cardiac rehabilitation program to help you understand nutrition, develop sustainable healthy behavior changes, stick to safe levels of exercise and improve the quality of your everyday life.
In addition to these activities, there are a number of ways to ensure you make your mental health a priority during your recovery.
And both the physical changes and mental health changes you make will make a big difference in your heart health.
Practicing self-care alongside your doctor-recommended lifestyle changes — like eating well and exercising — can improve your mood and protect your heart.
Taking care of your mental health after a heart attack can mean:
Depression can prevent you from leading a full life and can increase your risk of complications after a heart attack. If your depressed mood is severe and accompanied by other symptoms that persist every day for two weeks or more, it’s time to ask for help.
Some reasons for concern include:
Treatment for depression includes antidepressant medication, psychotherapy (supportive counseling or “talk therapy”) or a combination of both.
A healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise, proper sleep and a well-balanced diet, as well as relaxation and stress management techniques, can also help you manage depression.
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