Heart Failure

Coping With Your Feelings

Heart failure brings big changes to your life. You may struggle with sadness and worry. You may wonder if you'll still be able to enjoy your life. Coping with your feelings and seeking help when you need it can help you live better with heart failure.

Depression and anxiety

One Woman's Story: Joan, 54 "I would sit at my kitchen table and feel I was in this cloud of dread. I didn't feel like me. I felt like, 'I'm never going to be me again.'"—Joan Read about how Joan got help for depression and anxiety.

Heart failure can be hard on your emotions. You may feel depressed that you can't do some of the things you used to do. You may worry about your future. And symptoms of heart failure, such as shortness of breath, can make this anxiety worse.

These feelings are common. Talk to your doctor if you have symptoms of depression or are worried a lot. Depression and anxiety can be treated with counseling and medicine.

You also can help yourself feel better by changing your "self-talk." Those are the things you tell yourself about how you're coping. Negative thoughts can make you feel bad. Changing the way you think can change the way you feel. To learn how to think in a positive way, see:

Anxiety: Using positive thinking.

Depression: Using positive thinking.

Positive thinking: Stopping unwanted thoughts.

For more information, see the topics:

• Positive Thinking With Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.
• Depression.
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Stress

The challenges of living with heart failure can increase your stress. And stress can make living with heart failure even harder. Stress also can disturb your sleep and make depression and anxiety worse. Here are some things that can help your body, mind, and spirit:

Doing progressive muscle relaxation

Managing your time

Reducing stress by being assertive

Breathing exercises for relaxation

Doing guided imagery to relax

Doing meditation

Practicing yoga to relax

Getting support

Emotional support from friends and family can help you cope with the struggles of heart failure. You might want to think about joining a heart failure support group. Ask your doctor about the types of support that are available where you live.

Meeting other people with the same problems can help you know you're not alone. If you're shy or aren't a joiner, you can look at an online support group. Even though people online aren't talking face-to-face, they're sharing their feelings and creating a community.

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Author:	Robin Parks, MS	Last Updated: August 25, 2008
Medical Review:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Robert A. Kloner, MD, PhD - Cardiology
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