After learning you have heart
disease, you may experience a wide range of
emotions including sadness, depression,
anxiety, anger and/or fear. When excessive and
prolonged, these feelings can undermine the
benefit of your cardiac treatment.
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Depression occurs in 1 out of
3 patients who have had a heart attack.
Studies have shown that depressed cardiac
patients have a poorer prognosis compared to
patients who are not depressed, even after
other major risk factors such as smoking and
high blood pressure were taken into account.
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Psychosocial interventions can
help you establish healthy attitudes and
coping skills to ease your distress and
improve your cardiac rehabilitation process.
Individualized
Cardiovascular
Emotional Fitness Program
This is a 4-6
session program designed to
help you identify your stress
and other difficult emotions
(i.e. depression, anger) and
provide you with tools to
better cope with these
feelings.
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The first
session will consist of an
evaluation.
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In the second
session, the results of the
evaluation will be discussed
with you and an individualized
program will be developed.
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Sessions 3 to 6,
will teach you strategies and
techniques to better manage your
stress and cope more effectively
with heart disease.
Coping with Heart Disease
Support Group
This is an
8-session program designed to
teach you strategies to help you
cope better with heart disease
and daily stress.
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You will have
the opportunity to express your
fears and worries with other
cardiac patients, which you may
find very comforting.
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The group is
comprised of six to eight
cardiac patients and is led by a
licensed psychologist.
Individual Stress Management
Sessions are also available.
Service provided by a licensed
psychologist and
covered by most Health Insurance
plans.
To register, or for more
information, please call the
McGill Cardiovascular Health
Improvement Program at
(514) 489-6630
