The Emotional Wellness Way to Cardiac Health: How Letting Go of Depression, Anxiety, and Anger Can Heal Your Heart

You’re concerned about your heart. You know to eat right and exercise regularly, but what you may not know is that there is an established correlation between your emotions and the health of your heart. Anger and anxiety, depression and stress can all make you more susceptible to heart disease. By learning to control these negative emotions, you can significantly reduce your risk of developing cardiac problems and increase your general well-being.

After offering an overview of how your emotions influence your heart, this book provides a comprehensive strategy for controlling negative emotions that put you at greater risk for heart problems. Use the book’s self-assessments to help you determine which negative emotions are the greatest dangers to your heart’s heath and then put its powerful set of emotional tools to work to help you manage them:

• Foster self-knowledge, expression, and acceptance
• Enhance positive experiences
• Counter negative thoughts and solve difficult problems
• Foster calm and clarity through relaxation
• Use visualization for stress management and goal achievement
• Build invaluable social support with interpersonal tools
• Encourage love, acceptance, and compassion through mindfulness practice

Diwakar Jain, MD, FRCP, is professor of medicine and the director of nuclear cardiology and cardiology services at the Drexel University College of Medicine.

Arthur M. Nezu, PhD, ABPP, is past president of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy (AABT) and is currently professor of psychology, medicine, and public health at Drexel University. He is president of the American Board of Professional Psychology and codirector of the Center for Behavioral Medicine and Mind / Body Studies in Philadelphia, PA. Foreword writer E. Thomas Dowd, PhD, ABPP, is professor and interim chair of the Department of Psychology at Kent State University. He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association in two divisions.

Christine Maguth Nezu, PhD, ABPP, professor of psychology and associate professor of medicine at Drexel University, is codirector for the Center for Behavioral Medicine and Mind / Body Studies in Philadelphia, PA. She is currently a Trustee for the American Board of Professional Psychology.