| Illness and Depression | | | | that coin and people with depression are at |
| Depression often tags along with another serious | | | | greater risk for getting heart disease. If you have |
| illness such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, | | | | heart disease and are depressed you have a |
| cancer, Parkinson's Disease and more. So often | | | | bigger risk of death after a heart attack. After |
| doctors will treat the illness but not treat the | | | | having heart surgery, it's very important to follow |
| depression which follows along. This is sad | | | | through with necessary rehabilitation. This is |
| because if you are so dejected and pessimistic | | | | more difficult for someone who is depressed. |
| about being sick, chances are your recovery | | | | Depression can increase blood pressure and affect |
| won't be the best. | | | | clotting. It can also lead to elevated insulin and |
| Cancer Can Scare You to Death | | | | cholesterol levels. It can increase stress |
| Millions of people are living with a current or past | | | | hormones, those fight or flight impulses we have |
| diagnosis of cancer. Just the word 'cancer' causes | | | | when faced with danger. Again, a chemical |
| people to panic, become overcome with fear of | | | | imbalance in the brain sends the wrong messages |
| dying, and think they are forever ruined. There is | | | | to the body. Depression and heart disease are |
| an immediate fear of death, life plans upset, | | | | deadly companions and can lead to each other. |
| change in lifestyle, medical bills to face, and a fight | | | | They are a frightening hand in glove combination. |
| to survive. So often your doctor, your family, | | | | Despite the real connection between these two |
| friends, and cancer specialists think that it is | | | | dangerous illnesses, depression often goes |
| normal for you to be depressed when you have | | | | undiagnosed and untreated. Persons with heart |
| cancer and don't think it needs to be treated. | | | | disease, their families and friends, and even their |
| But how can you really participate in your | | | | doctors and cardiologists may miss depression's |
| treatment plan if you are expecting the worst, | | | | warning signs. And when treatment is given it is |
| and knowing it will happen? | | | | often not enough. They think that these feelings |
| I have sat with people and their families when the | | | | just go along with heart disease. When my |
| diagnosis of cancer is given. The reaction is | | | | husband had emergency open heart surgery, |
| always disbelief, even if the person was | | | | there was never any discussion about depression |
| suspecting this to be true. I have held the hand of | | | | which went along with heart problems. I was on |
| women who have been told that their husbands | | | | top of it and worked to make sure my husband |
| have prostate cancer, lung cancer, brain cancer, | | | | was able to get all the support he needed. Others |
| and many more. I have sat silent with husbands | | | | may not know what to do and they get no help |
| who have just been given the news that their | | | | from the doctors. |
| wife has breast cancer, uterine cancer, pancreatic | | | | The impact of depression and heart disease is |
| cancer, and ovarian cancer. Men tend not to talk | | | | enormous. Depression is the leading cause of |
| but their pain can be felt through the looks on | | | | disability and heart disease is by far the leading |
| their faces. Cancer scares people and sometimes | | | | cause of death in the US. One in three Americans |
| it scares them to death before their time. | | | | will die of some form of heart disease. So it is |
| Depression can and should be treated right along | | | | very important that we all become aware that |
| with any treatment for cancer. Antidepressant | | | | depression and heart disease are associated with |
| medications are usually well tolerated but there | | | | sickness and death and proper treatment must |
| may be some side effects and problems with | | | | be given. Newer anti depressants don't have the |
| other medications taken. It is very important to | | | | negative complications that the previous ones did. |
| make it clear to your doctor that you need help | | | | Treatment for depression helps you manage |
| for your depression as well as your cancer. It is | | | | heart problems better and have a better quality |
| also very important that if you are the husband, | | | | of life. It should be made very clear to people |
| wife, sibling, or child of someone who is dealing | | | | with heart problems complicated by depression |
| with cancer to do the same thing. Please ask your | | | | that exercise is one of the best treatments for |
| doctor for antidepressant medication if you are | | | | both. |
| suffering with cancer and are depressed. | | | | Treatment for depression helps people manage |
| Depression Can Break Your Heart | | | | both diseases, making survival and enjoyment of |
| People with heart disease tend to suffer from | | | | life possible. Keep your heart and mind safe and |
| depression more than healthy heart people. Flip | | | | sound. Total health is in your future. |