The Part of Heart Disease No One Prepares You For

We hear so much about the physical side of heart disease.  The surgeries, medications, rehab. But what about the emotional side? What about everything that hits you after the diagnosis or hospital stay… especially if, like me, you’ve been through hospice?

Being told there are “no more options” is something you never forget. And surviving that? It does something to you and not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

We don’t talk about this enough and truthfully, most doctors don’t either. But it’s real. It’s valid. And it matters.

I’ve lived it. What came after wasn’t peace, it was fear, disorientation, and a kind of grief I never saw coming.That deep, lingering heaviness so many of us feel after heart trauma is what are known as the cardiac blues and it’s more widespread than most people realize.

What Are Cardiac Blues?

Cardiac blues are the emotional and mental struggles that show up after a heart event or serious diagnosis. For me, it felt like:

• Constant fear of “what if it happens again?”

• Feeling emotionally numb even though I was “supposed to be grateful”

• Not recognizing myself anymore after what my body went through

Studies show that up to 30% of heart patients experience depression or anxiety — and those numbers are even higher in people who’ve faced end-of-life care. This goes deeper than a bad day. It’s not something you can just “shake off.” It’s real and it deserves real support.

Why It Matters

The emotional impact of heart disease isn’t just about feelings it also affects recovery. When depression or anxiety go untreated, it can:

• Slow down healing

• Make it harder to stick with medications or treatment plans

• Increase the risk of another heart issue down the road

Yet too often, no one checks in about this mental piece. We’re expected to “be strong” and “just move on.” But that’s not how real healing works.

You’re Not Alone, and You’re Not Failing

I’m talking about the emotional struggle that comes after heart disease. It doesn’t mean we’re weak but it does mean we’ve survived something that shook us to our core. It means we’ve carried more than most people will ever see, and yet we’re still standing. We go through so much, and we’re allowed to feel the weight of it. Gratitude and struggle can exist side by side. It’s the honest truth that healing runs deep and doesn’t happen all at once.

What Can Help?

The good news? Support is out there. The harder truth? You have to reach for it and when you do, it can make a world of difference.

• Therapy or counseling from someone who understands chronic illness

• Peer support groups where you can talk to people who truly get it

• Being honest with your doctor about what you’re feeling

• Connecting with community — online or in person

  
  

You’re not alone in this, even if it feels that way. So many of us have been there, and asking for help is where healing starts.

• Mental Health America Offers free, confidential mental health screenings and local resource links. www.mhanational.org

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Free peer-led support groups, educational resources, and a helpline: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) www.nami.org

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Dial 988 anytime to talk or text with someone trained to help. Available 24/7. www.988lifeline.org

If you’re in that in-between space with surviving, but still struggling. I see you. I’ve lived it too. And I need you to know you’re not alone in this. Your emotional well-being matters just as much as your physical recovery.

Healing takes a village. If you know someone walking this same road, send this their way. Let’s keep opening the door to these conversations, because this is part of the healing, too.

#LifeAfterHospice #CardiacBlues #HeartHealing #MentalHealthMatters #PatientVoice #Heart2Heart #HVVUSAmbassador