FAQ

Cardiac rehabilitation (cardiac rehab) is a structured programme combining exercise, education, and psychological support to help people recover after a cardiac event such as a heart attack, cardiac arrest, or heart surgery. It is delivered by a multidisciplinary team and is typically offered as a course of weekly sessions over 6–8 weeks.

If you have survived a cardiac arrest, cardiac rehabilitation is recommended and you should be offered a referral by your cardiac team or GP. Evidence shows that it reduces mortality, improves cardiovascular fitness, reduces anxiety and depression, and helps people return to work and normal activities with greater confidence.

Cardiac rehab programmes typically include supervised, gradually increasing physical exercise tailored to your individual fitness and heart condition; education sessions covering topics such as medications, diet, managing risk factors, and understanding your condition; and psychological support addressing anxiety, mood, and adjustment to life after a cardiac event.

If you have not been referred to cardiac rehabilitation, ask your GP or cardiologist. Some programmes are also available online or as hybrid models. The British Heart Foundation’s Cardiac Rehab service finder can help you locate programmes near you.

Several routes to psychological support are available after cardiac arrest.

Your GP is the first point of contact. They can assess your mental health, prescribe medication if appropriate, and refer you to talking therapy. In England, NHS Talking Therapies (formerly IAPT) provides free CBT, counselling, and other therapies, usually without a long wait. You can also self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies online without going through your GP first.

Your cardiac team may also be able to refer you to a clinical psychologist or cardiac rehabilitation programme. Cardiac rehabilitation often includes a psychological component alongside exercise and education, and is recommended for cardiac arrest survivors.

For more specialist support — for example, if you have complex PTSD, severe depression, or significant cognitive impairment — your GP can refer you to community mental health services or a neuropsychologist.

Peer support — connecting with other survivors and co-survivors who understand the experience from the inside — is highly valued by many people after cardiac arrest. Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK can connect you with peer support resources and a community of people who have been through similar experiences.

For co-survivors, the same routes apply. You do not need to have been the patient to deserve psychological support.

Yes. PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) is common after cardiac arrest — both in survivors and in co-survivors who witnessed the event or performed CPR.

Survivors may develop PTSD even without remembering the arrest itself. PTSD can develop in relation to the ICU experience, the fear of further cardiac events, distressing memories of what happened in hospital, or the experience of receiving ICD shocks. Symptoms include flashbacks or intrusive thoughts, nightmares, hypervigilance, avoidance of reminders of the event, emotional numbing, irritability, and difficulty sleeping.

Co-survivors — partners, family members, and friends — are also at significant risk of PTSD following a cardiac arrest. The experience of witnessing a collapse, performing CPR, or facing the possibility of losing someone is profoundly traumatic.

PTSD is a recognised medical condition and is treatable. The most effective treatments include trauma-focused CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing). Both are available through NHS Talking Therapies — speak to your GP for a referral. You do not have to be formally diagnosed with PTSD to access these services; if you are experiencing significant distress, that is reason enough to seek support.

If you are in crisis or feel unable to cope, please contact your GP, call 111, or contact the Samaritans on 116 123.

Yes — even if you were not the one who performed CPR, witnessing a cardiac arrest is a profoundly shocking experience. Seeing someone you love collapse, not knowing whether they would survive, spending days or weeks at a hospital bedside, and then navigating their recovery at home can all leave lasting psychological effects.

What you experienced meets the criteria for a potentially traumatic event. It is entirely normal to have intrusive thoughts, disturbing dreams, difficulty concentrating, heightened anxiety, fear of it happening again, or periods of low mood — even weeks or months after the event. You may also find yourself feeling emotionally numb or detached, or swinging between feeling fine and feeling overwhelmed.

These are not signs of weakness. They are signs that something very frightening happened to you, and your mind and body are still processing it. Many co-survivors find that symptoms reduce naturally over time with the support of people around them. Others find that symptoms persist or worsen, in which case professional support is recommended.

Talk to your GP about what you are experiencing. You can also contact Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK to connect with others who understand what you have been through.

Yes, and more profoundly than many people expect. Performing CPR on someone you love is one of the most distressing experiences a person can face. You were trying to keep someone alive — possibly not knowing whether your efforts were working, possibly believing at some point that you were losing them. That is a deeply traumatic experience, regardless of the outcome.

Co-survivors who performed CPR commonly report intrusive thoughts and flashbacks replaying the moment of collapse or the resuscitation itself, guilt about whether they started quickly enough or performed it correctly, hypervigilance about the survivor’s health, fear of being left alone with the survivor, and difficulty sleeping.

It is important to know that guilt about CPR performance is extremely common and almost never warranted. Even trained paramedics do not perform CPR perfectly under stress. Imperfect CPR is far better than no CPR, and the fact that you acted almost certainly made a difference.

If you are struggling with distressing thoughts, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, or low mood following the experience, please talk to your GP. Effective treatments are available, including trauma-focused CBT and EMDR. You can also contact Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK for peer support from others who have been through similar experiences.

Yes. Peer support — connecting with others who have direct experience of living with an ICD or surviving a cardiac arrest — is one of the most valued forms of support for many people. Hearing how others have adjusted, managed their fears, and got on with their lives can be reassuring and practical in a way that clinical information alone cannot always provide.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK (SCAUK) offers peer support resources for both ICD patients and cardiac arrest survivors, including co-survivors. Visit suddencardiacarrestuk.org or get in touch directly to find out what is available.

Your cardiac team or GP may also be able to point you towards local support groups or cardiac rehabilitation programmes, which often have a peer support element. The British Heart Foundation’s network of Heart Support Groups provides in-person peer support in many areas of the UK.

It is very common to feel anxious before getting a heart device. Concern about the procedure itself, about what having an ICD means for your life, and about the underlying condition that led to the recommendation are all understandable responses.

The most effective way to manage anxiety around the procedure is to get clear, reliable information — which is what this site is here to provide. Knowing what to expect before, during, and after implantation, and understanding how your ICD works and what it will and will not prevent you from doing, can significantly reduce fear of the unknown.

If your anxiety is significant or persistent, do speak to your GP or cardiac team. Psychological support is available, and you do not need to manage this alone. Peer support — talking to others who have been through the same procedure — is also highly valued by many people. Contact SCAUK to find out more.