Looking After Your Mental Health

Living with cardiomyopathy isn’t just about managing the physical stuff – it can feel confusing and stressful. Feeling anxious, frustrated, isolated, or just totally overwhelmed? You're not the only one. That’s a completely normal response to what you're going through.

It’s a lot. And it's okay to admit that.

How Cardiomyopathy can affect your mental health

Everyone’s experience is different – but here are some common ways it might impact you:

Worrying about the future – your health, career, relationships, or independence
Feeling different from your friends – like you're the only one dealing with this stuff
Frustration – especially if you feel held back from doing things you love
Feeling low or anxious – sometimes for no clear reason
Struggles with body image or confidence – especially if your condition affects your energy levels or how you see yourself

If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Lots of young people with long-term conditions feel the same way. The key thing is: you don’t have to deal with it on your own.

What can help?

Here are some things that genuinely make a difference. Try what feels right for you.

Talk to someone

Opening up can take a weight off your shoulders. Try talking to:

A friend, family member, or someone you trust
A teacher, tutor, coach or youth worker
A therapist or mental health professional
One of our Heart to Heart volunteers – young people who also live with cardiomyopathy and totally get what you're going through

Write it out

Journaling (or even dumping your thoughts into your Notes app) can help you understand your emotions better. Over time, you might start noticing patterns – what helps, what doesn’t, and what triggers your mood.

Look after the basics

It sounds boring, but stuff like getting enough sleep, eating regularly, gentle exercise, and giving yourself time to rest can really boost your mood. Bad day? That’s okay. Focus on the small wins and give yourself credit where it’s due.

Don’t fake it

You don’t have to act like everything’s fine when it’s not. In fact, one of the bravest things you can do is say, “I’m not okay right now.” There’s strength in being honest about how you're feeling – especially with yourself.