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Emotional Aspects Of Heart Failure
Depression
It is very common for people with heart failure to develop depression. This may happen when you notice that your quality of life is being affected by your symptoms.
Feeling down for some of the time is a natural reaction as you learn to accept, and adapt to, what you can and cannot do. However, if you are feeling low for most of the time you could be depressed.
Depression affects your mood and how you feel about life – you may feel as if there is no point in anything.
It can make you feel as if you don't want to get up in the morning or as if you don't want to go out or see family or friends. Often depression creeps up over a period of time.
Common symptoms of depression include:
- Persistent sadness, crying spells
- Loss of interest in life
- Mood swings: feeling short tempered / irritable or easily upset
- Tiredness and loss of energy
- Loss of confidence and self esteem
- Difficulty concentrating
- Not being able to enjoy things that are usually pleasurable or interesting
- Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
- Changes in appetite / weight gain or loss
- Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness
- Sleeping problems – difficulties in getting off to sleep or waking up much earlier than usual
- Lack of energy, motivation
- Being less aware of others and more inward looking
- Physical aches and pains
- Loss of sex drive and or sexual problems
- Avoiding other people sometimes even your close friends
- Thinking about suicide and death
Most experts agree that if you have experienced four or more of these symptoms for most of the day, nearly every day, for over two weeks then you should seek help.
Speak to your doctor in the first instance. It may be hard, at first, to talk about how you are feeling but remember doctors are used to talking about emotions and are skilled at recognising and treating depression.
Coping with anxiety
Many people with heart failure find that some of their symptoms make them feel anxious and panicky. It can be reassuring to recognise exactly how anxiety affects you and know which physical symptoms are caused by what.
Anxiety can effect people in many different ways: physically, emotionally and behaviourally.
Possible physical symptoms include:
- Headaches
- Muscle tension or pain
- Stomach problems
- Sweating
- Feeling dizzy
- Bowel and / or bladder problems
- Breathlessness and / or palpitations
- Dry mouth
- Tingling in body
- Sexual problems
Possible emotional problems include:
- Feeling irritable
- Feeling anxious or tense
- Feeling low
- Feeling of apathy
- Feeling low in self esteem
Possible effects on behaviour include:
- Temper outbursts
- Over drinking and / or smoking
- Changes in eating habits
- Withdrawing from usual activities
- Being unreasonable
- Being forgetful and / or clumsy
- Rushing around
Learning breathing exercises and relaxation techniques can help you to cope. Talking to someone about how you feel can also make things a bit easier.
Sex and intimacy
Lack of energy, shortness of breath and impotence are common difficulties with sexual activity for people with heart failure.
Retaining closeness and intimacy within your relationship will help to overcome difficulties. Remember that you can express your feelings in many different ways, through talking but also with body language and physical contact such as kissing and cuddling.
Making the most of rest time and experimenting with positions may help to make sexual intercourse easier. Impotence in men is usually caused by the side effects of drugs but it can also be caused by fear or stress as well as diabetes or vascular problems. Speak to your doctor if this is happening to you.
If you or your partner have any questions or concerns regarding your sexual relationship try to talk to your doctor. Your doctor will be used to talking about personal matters even if you aren't, so try not to feel embarrassed. You could also contact Relationships Scotland for support.
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