It is completely normal and understandable to experience some level of emotional impact from SCAD. In fact, the emotional and psychological recovery from SCAD can take longer than the physical one. Recovery from SCAD is an individual experience and your mental health may be affected at different stages; perhaps you may notice anxiety symptoms straight away or months later, or your mood might drop when you first leave hospital or when your body has physically healed. Physical and mental recovery after SCAD are both important and will be unique to each individual.
For some, experiencing a SCAD can be a life-changing event which may have both positive and negative impacts. Many people experience depression, anxiety, and panic and potentially even PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) for the first time in their lives or find that they are struggling more with their mental well-being post-SCAD. Rest, loving support, healing, talking therapies and sometimes medication can all help. Most importantly letting someone know how you are feeling, is an important first step.
Mental health terms explained and symptoms
- Anxiety: feeling worried, nervous and fearful – worry or stress that affects your daily life, perhaps making it hard to sleep, to concentrate, meet with friends or even leave the house. You may become more focused on physical sensations associated with your SCAD (e.g. chest or neck pains). This is called hypervigilance. Click on the link below for suggestions on how to Cope with Hypervigilance.
- Low mood and depression: feeling sad, helpless and tearful – sleep problems, lack of appetite, no longer doing activities you used to enjoy and lack of motivation.
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: is a reaction to a stressful event; rather than the trauma gradually becoming a difficult past event, it feels current and real. Symptoms include: nightmares, flashbacks, insomnia, isolation and guilt.
- Grief: experiences of loss, perhaps of your former life, health or activities.
People may experience combinations of these mental health issues eg low mood and anxiety or PTSD and anxiety.
Sarah
Fit and healthy mum, Sarah, says her mental recovery was harder than the physical
Sally Bee, who has had two SCADs, gives some helpful advice from the patient perspective
Dr Abi Al-Hussaini, SCAD expert at the Chelsea & Westminster hospital, explains the mental well-being side of getting over a SCAD in this video.
For many, talking to friends or family, engaging with the SCAD survivor community on Facebook and using reputable websites such as the BHF and Beat SCAD is enough to provide the support they need but, for others, it feels more serious.
For information about talking therapies, click here.
If you feel that you need help straight away, here are links to key Mental Health & Support Services:
- In an emergency, you should get immediate expert advice and assessment. Call 999 and ask for an ambulance, or go to the Accident and Emergency Department at the hospital
- Get advice from NHS 111 or seek an urgent appointment with your GP
- Get support from a helpline like The Samaritans: Telephone:116 123 (24 hours a day) Email: jo@samaritans.org
Families and friends
Families and friends can also be affected by SCAD and this page offers some advice.
And if you have lost a loved one, you may find our Bereavement page helpful.
Of course, friends and family can also make their own referral to their local NHS Talking Therapy Service or pay for private therapy.
Resources
For information about talking therapies click here.
General information, including how to refer yourself (you don’t need to access counselling via your GP)
BACP Register of Counsellors and Psychotherapists
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
EMDR Association – EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing therapy) to help treat post-traumatic stress disorder
NHS information on mindfulness
Mindful information on mindfulness
Practising Gratitude (lots of information on this here but practising gratitude can be as simple as thinking of three things you are grateful for as you go to sleep, which will hopefully promote positive dreams).
Watch Sally Bee, who has had two SCADs, explain why ‘because it’s your heart, it plays with your head.
SCAD and Wellbeing – Dr Colette Soan, a local authority educational psychologist and a lecturer at the University of Birmingham, who has had two SCADs and has a diagnosis of FMD (Fibromuscular Dysplasia) was our keynote speaker.
Vicky Bailey, who had a SCAD in May 2019, is a psychotherapist and coach. She documented her SCAD journey in video blogs on her Youtube channel. Click here to view Part 1.
She also very kindly hosted some free webinars for SCAD patients focusing on things such as gratitude, anxiety, journalling and being mindful.
Emotional Impact...
FAQs
Mental health terms explained and symptoms:
- Anxiety: feeling worried, nervous and fearful – worry or stress that affects your daily life, perhaps making it hard to sleep, to concentrate, meet with friends or even leave the house. You may become more focused on physical sensations associated with your SCAD (e.g. chest or neck pains). This is called hypervigilance. Click on the links below for suggestions on how to Cope with Hypervigilance.
- Low mood and depression: feeling sad, helpless and tearful – sleep problems, lack of appetite, no longer doing activities you used to enjoy and lack of motivation.
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: is a reaction to a stressful event; rather than the trauma gradually becoming a difficult past event, it feels current and real. Symptoms include: nightmares, flashbacks, insomnia, isolation and guilt.
- Grief: experiences of loss, perhaps of your former life, health or activities.
People may experience combinations of these mental health issues e.g. low mood and anxiety or PTSD and anxiety.
Anxiety can become a feature of post-SCAD life for many, with every slight change in the body causing a ‘what was that?’ lurch in the pit of the stomach. With a mind on high alert, it is no surprise that a small change in the body can quickly cause a massive over-reaction by the nervous system.
Panic attacks can very easily mimic heart attacks. Some re-admissions to hospital after SCAD for chest pain that turn out to be a false alarm may be caused by anxiety. Some people talk to their GP and get medications to support them.
There are lots of other things to try too: learning how to ‘rest’ the brain is key to mental recovery. Click here for an example of a relaxation video. There are many other resources online, from breathing mindfully, learning ‘rectangular breathing’, to practising mindfulness. It is very important to also prioritise sleep.
At other times distraction can be a solution… jigsaws, craft activities, stroking a pet etc. Watching funny TV is great as well – laughter really is the best medicine.
Our family and friends can be affected by our SCADs, and there is support for them too. The SCAD Friends and Family Support group on Facebook is a safe place for family and friends to support each other, discuss how a loved-one’s diagnosis affects them, the tactics and solutions they have found useful, and to provide opportunities for people to meet.
A parent’s illness can be traumatic for children, who can be fearful, scared, blame themselves or express other emotions and behaviours. For those who have children, whether or not they witnessed your SCAD, have a look at our information sheet about how to talk to children about SCAD, which may help you discuss it with them (go to the Downloads and Leaflets page).
Catherine Beck, former Health Play Specialist and SCAD patient explains how to talk to children in this videoand help them come to terms with what has happened to you.
SCAD patient, Sam, has written about her experiences and how she and her husband helped their daughter understand and cope with what Sam had been through.