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Informative Articles

Depression
Depression is a very serious matter, which does not discriminate. Depression doe not care what your age is, what gender you are, or even what your race or social class is. Depression can often make a person feel sad, helpless, hopeless, and...

Depression and Insomnia Relationship
You’ve been lying for a couple of hours, your eyes closed and you wanted to fall into a deep sleep but can’t make it. You tried a little more… and again… and again… it goes. At 2 o’clock you fell asleep but at 5 o’clock in the morning you wake up...

Depression and Procrastination: Twins In the Job Search
Let me examine these two mental states. My definition of procrastination is that a person delays and delays actions that are required by a job or actions necessary to accomplish something in every day life. Depression is a mental state that...

Depression: Can Dolphins Relieve Depression Symptoms?
There are various treatments for depression but this one can be not only original, but also effective. Swimming with dolphins can be an effective therapy for depression according to a research carried out in Honduras. It was known that...

Depression Explained.
Depression is a mental state marked by melancholy, pessimism or dejection. Depression can also be defined as a psychotic condition characterized by stuporous withdrawal from reality and intense guilt feelings. Depression is characterized by the...

Mood Stabilizers & Mood Enhancers - A Remedy To Naturally Boost Mood & Alleviate Depression
Depression and mood disorders are very prevalent mental health issues today. In an increasingly health conscious society, more options are being put forth in the realm of natural medicine, allowing people to stabilize and enhance mood naturally,...

St Johns Wort and Depression
The bright yellow flower of the St Johns Wort (hypericum perforatum) with it's ray-like petals, represents the power of the sun that forces away the darkness. This already points to the anti-depressant effects of the St Johns Wort which are...

Talking About Depression
In many ways, our society has allowed many people to believe that they can not communicate their feelings to others. Sometimes, we think that no one will understand. We think that what we are feeling is simply not important, not validated, or just...

The Different Depression Medications Available Today
Depression and mental illnesses are extremely common in the world that we live in today. In every 5 American adults, at least 1 of them is suffering from either depression or mild mental illness in any given 6 months’ period. However, a point to...

When A Friend Struggles With Depression And Anxiety
What do you do when a friend has to deal with persistent fears, anxieties or even depression? Well the first thing you need to do is to get the person to seek the services of a professional and/or counselor who can lead them in the right...

 
 
 
Depression after a Heart Attack

There are several factors can lead to depression after heart attack. The stress of being in the hospital, the fear of another heart attack, time away from work can all contribute to feeling depressed, helpless, down and despondent.

Do many people suffer depression after heart attack?

Not surprisingly, the answer to this question is yes. Recent studies show that as many as 65% of people who have a heart attack report feeling depressed, down and despondent. A general state of despair. Moreover, women, people who have been depressed before, and people who feel alone and without social or emotional support are at a higher risk for feeling depressed after a heart attack. Two new Canadian studies have shown that More than twice as many women than men tend to fall into chronic depression after suffering a heart attack and are more likely to lead lives of poorer quality following their treatments.

Being depressed can also make it harder for you to recover. However, depression can be treated.

Being told by doctors that you should take up exercise, adopt a new diet, stop smoking, etc. etc. etc. can certainly make you feel helpless, in fact, you will probably have good days and bad days following your release from hospital. However, most people start to feel better as time passes. People that are quickly able to get back to their usual routines normally notice a drop in anxiety faster than those that don’t.

So what exactly is depression?

Depression, be it after a heart attack or not, is a medical illness, like diabetes or high blood pressure and not just somebody going crazy. This is important both for the sufferer and family members to understand. The symptoms of depression may include some or all of the following:

- Feeling sad or crying often
- Losing

 


interest in daily activities that used to be fun
- Changes in appetite and weight
- Sleeping too much or having trouble sleeping
- Feeling agitated, cranky or sluggish
- Loss of energy
- Feeling very guilty or worthless
- Problems concentrating or making decisions
- Thoughts of death or suicide

Can heart disease trigger depression or depression trigger heart disease?

Either of the above may be true, one thing seems clear. The two are often found hand in hand, therefore controlling one may help control the other.

According to The American Academy of Family Physicians research has shown that people who are depressed and have pre-existing cardiovascular disease have a 3.5 times greater risk of dying of a heart attack than patients with heart disease who are not depressed. In a recent study, depression was shown to be associated with an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease in men and women. Depression was shown to increase mortality related to coronary heart disease in men but had no effect on mortality in women.

How can the risk of relapse be avoided?

The risk of relapses, be it of heart disease or depression, can be greatly reduced by living a healthy lifestyle, and your doctor will instruct you on this. However, some important lifestyle modifications are avoiding alcohol, illegal drugs, smoking, start a regular exercise program, eating a balanced diet, manage stress, join a club, meet new people or take courses in things that interest you, get enough rest and sleep

About the Author

For more heart health related information visit www.AllAbout-Heart-Disease.com - a site that offers user-friendly articles, tips and advice for avoiding heart disease, getting the edge on risk factors and living your life to the full!