Are There Supportive Resources For Patients With Recent Heart Attack And Depression?
Dr. Richard Stein answers the question: 'Heart Attack And Depression Resources?'
— -- Question: Are there supportive resources for patients with recent heart attack and depression?
Answer: Well, you know the one that I send my patients to first is the American Heart Association website (americanheart.org). And there's an icon for depression, and it will really talk a lot about what people normally experience. And sometimes reading that what you have is not so abnormal, and it's not the sign of a severe disease can be very helpful.
The staff in cardiac rehabilitation is probably the most effective group to do this. And most often your doctor will know of counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists who deal with patients who have short-term depression after a heart attack and are very good at treating it.
So there's a lot of resources out there. The first thing to do is sort of acknowledge that it's happening. The second thing to do is assertively ask your physician for some help. And the third and most important thing is to follow through with their recommendation.
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