How to Support a Friend with Heart Disease
You want to support a friend with heart disease or be a part of a support system, and you’ve come to the right place to learn how. Your support can help her feel better about her diagnosis and can even help her make healthier life choices.
Listen
When discussing her heart diagnosis with you, one of the best things you can do is listen. While it may be tempting to tell her all the ways she can eat healthier or exercise more often, focus instead on hearing her concerns before rushing to give advice.
”Just listening is a really easy way to show someone you care,” says Carol D’Anca, a Chicago-based clinical nutritionist and owner of Food Not Meds, who has helped to support several women friends struggling with heart disease.
Get Informed
Chances are, your friend is going to the doctor quite a bit these days and may feel overwhelmed by the barrage of information given to her. Lighten her load by doing some research yourself, suggests D’Anca.
“Go online and help her with research about her condition and treatment options,” she says. “Work together to dig deeper and gain an understanding of what she is going through. Your willingness to help will go a long way.” Learn more about heart disease in women.
Socialize
Depression is an unfortunate byproduct of heart disease for many women. Upon receiving bad health news, they tend to shut themselves off from activities they once enjoyed. If this describes your friend, set up a regular social outing for the two of you (or invite others)—maybe a Tuesday afternoon tea hour or a movie night once a week.
“She will start to feel better emotionally when she feels love from others,” D’Anca says. “I also recommend helping them find a support group of others who are going through the same thing.
“Several of my friends have done this and it has brightened their moods tremendously, just knowing that they aren’t suffering alone.”
Get Active
Help improve your friend’s heart health by scheduling time to do activities together. Based on her likes and capabilities, organize a regular walk around the neighborhood or take a dance or step aerobics class together. Not only will the physical activity help your friend’s heart health, but it will improve her mood, too.
