Heart failure and mental health: Coping with anxiety and depression
Living with CHF can sometimes leave you feeling depressed and anxious. These tips can help.
Getting diagnosed with a chronic disease like CHF can bring feelings of frustration, anger, and grief. And learning to live with a long-term illness can sometimes leave you feeling overwhelmed. This may make it tougher to take care of yourself. That’s why it’s so crucial to find the right mental health treatment.
How mental health issues may worsen your CHF
Yes, depression is a mental health condition, but when left untreated, it can result in physical changes to the body, including:
- Abnormalities in stress hormones
- Changes in heart rate or blood circulation
- Increased inflammation
- Metabolic changes
How to start feeling a little better
The good news? There’s a lot you can do to manage anxiety and depression, and some of the steps may help to improve your CHF, too. Try these ideas:
- Get active. Exercise isn’t just good for your heart — it releases endorphins that boost your mood.
- Do things that relax you. Read a good book, pet your pooch, or do something else that makes you feel happy.
- Consider professional help. Your doctor or Case Manager can refer you to a mental health provider for talk therapy to help you process heavy emotions.
Seeking treatment for your mental health may motivate you to better manage your chronic disease. And keeping up with your care plan for your chronic disease can help keep you mentally strong. Together with your doctors, you’ve got this.
