Showing kindness towards heart patients can help them recover from emotional trauma, study states
| Jan 5, 2019, 13:33 IST
A new study has found that people who suffer from a heart attack can go through significant trauma and showing kindness towards them is the best way to help them recover. Most heart attack patients suffer from emotional repercussions like a phobia of moving in case their heart rate rises or having a difficulty accepting who they are now as opposed to who they used to be before the attack. The study also found that men suffered more emotionally because most of them saw themselves as alpha males and post the attack they began to identify as the runt in the litter. And this led to a fear of being picked off by life and other people.
Samantha Meredith, a PhD student at the University of Portsmouth in the UK conducted a study wherein she found that cardiac rehabilitation could help such patients recover from all the emotional trauma. The study examined navigating shock and grief, depression, feelings of loss of control and feelings of lost identity. “We saw substantial emotional trauma following a cardiac event, including ‘cardiophobia’, the fear of elevated heart rate or doing anything strenuous,” said Meredith.
“Cardiac patients need better support in terms of counselling, identity support, social support and emotionally intelligent care to help them find their feet again, following a traumatic experience,” she said. “They also need to talk about their feelings. Some patients appear to bury their emotions for fear of judgement and to avoid being labelled ‘sick’." Her research proves why it's important to help people emotionally while also helping them regain their physical abilities.
Samantha Meredith, a PhD student at the University of Portsmouth in the UK conducted a study wherein she found that cardiac rehabilitation could help such patients recover from all the emotional trauma. The study examined navigating shock and grief, depression, feelings of loss of control and feelings of lost identity. “We saw substantial emotional trauma following a cardiac event, including ‘cardiophobia’, the fear of elevated heart rate or doing anything strenuous,” said Meredith.
“Cardiac patients need better support in terms of counselling, identity support, social support and emotionally intelligent care to help them find their feet again, following a traumatic experience,” she said. “They also need to talk about their feelings. Some patients appear to bury their emotions for fear of judgement and to avoid being labelled ‘sick’." Her research proves why it's important to help people emotionally while also helping them regain their physical abilities.