Dealing with Depression, Anxiety and Panic Attacks after a Heart Attack

The recovery process after a heart attack varies from person to person. How people deal with the "ups and downs" during this period is not the same for everyone.

For me, I found rediscovering an old hobby, photography, went a long way to helping me deal with depression, anxiety and panic attacks. I talk about this when I give talks at our local cardiac rehab group which is what I did just a couple of days ago at my first presentation for 2016.

Depression and anxiety after a heart attack is not uncommon and but talking about it is something people are usually reluctant to do. My raising these issues from the standpoint of someone who has been through the process usually is the stepping-stone for some present to open up and talk about what is bothering them as they start their road to recovery after their heart event.

I usually start the discussion off along the lines that it was rediscovering photography that helped me deal with many months of depression and anxiety after my heart attack and bypass surgery in 2007. I explain that at the time of my heart attack my wife was involved in looking after injured wildlife and that now, having free time on my hands, I soon started helping my wife. I go on to explain that where we live we have lots of wildlife that visit us daily and that picking up a camera and starting to take photos soon became a daily activity.

A few years ago I created a Facebook page where I could feature some of my photos where I continue to feature photos of various wildlife that visit us where we live in the Gold Coast hinterland in Queensland, Australia - https://www.facebook.com/Wildlifeinnerang/

In my talks I suggest to people that their recovery period is an opportunity for them to rediscover or pick up a hobby that maybe they have not thought about for years be it knitting, gardening, cooking, tennis, golf, swimming, etc.

Having introduced the topic at last Thursday’s talk, two people present told how cooking has become an important part of their lives and another person talked about getting involved in designing.

In my talk on Thursday I added that in addition to my photography which I am still passionately involved in, a second activity I undertake on a daily basis is walking (exercise). Not only does it help me with my diabetes (and my heart) whenever I feel “down” or an episode of depression coming, I explained to the group that simply going for a walk usually helps me deal with the issue.