The heart attack is over - so why doesn’t life feel normal?
Cardiologists emphasize that heart attack recovery involves significant emotional and psychological adjustment alongside physical rehabilitation. Patients often struggle with anxiety and a loss of confidence in their bodies long after the medical procedure is complete.
Why it matters
Addressing the mental health aspect of cardiac recovery is essential for improving long-term patient outcomes and quality of life.
After a heart attack, even familiar activities can feel daunting as patients rebuild confidence in their bodies. (Envato Elements pic)
PETALING JAYA: The artery has been reopened. The procedure went well, follow-up results are reassuring, and the cardiologist says recovery is on track.
Yet the staircase that once required no thought can suddenly feel like a decision. A flight overseas, a return to exercise, or even an unfamiliar ache in the chest may raise the same unsettling question: what if it happens again?
For many heart-attack survivors, recovery does not end when the immediate danger has passed.
In 2020 and 2021, Malaysia recorded over 15,000 admissions for acute coronary syndrome, which includes heart attacks, according to the National Cardiovascular Disease Database. Behind those numbers are patients who must gradually learn to trust their bodies again.
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