My HA was almost 8 years ago and i suffered with depression and anxiety for years afterwards. I was very athletic before and did everything right . My mother died from her 3rd heart attack at age 64, so i knew my genetics could be a problem. Thats why i was always so disciplined with my workouts and eating. Had mine about 10 minutes after finishing a workout. Some one told me about an hour before that I looked the best I had in years. So you cant go by looks. I read that testosterone treatment are abad for heart patients. not sure of the effect but you should ask your docs. I rarely need the anxiety meds anymore but will probably be on antidepressants for life. I tried going down on the dose with my docs help. it did not go well.You should ask your doc about Wellbutrin. I tried at least 4 of the SSRI / SNRI antidepressants before and they all made me tired and killed my sex drive. Wellbutrin has the opposite effect. it is very energizing ..so much that it increases anxiety in some people. i have not had that issue with it. It is at least neutral for sex drive and their is some evidence it actually increases it. Some people take a small dose of it to try to offset the decreased libido form SSRIs.I take 300 mg of the XL and it has really helped my depression and energy.

Thanks for the reply BonTemps. It's really discouraging I really don't want to be on any antidepressants because I just feel it suppresses real problems. And the more research I do, I'm starting to see there is a link between long term statin use and anxiety/depression. While I do believe the traumatic HA event may be one of the original causes of my depression/anxiety/panic, I feel that just maybe the statin use has excerbated it as well as decreased my T-levels(50% drop over the same time I've been on statins) which even leads to more depression, fatigue and no sex drive. I've also researched a lot on testosterone and know there are risk just as taking statins. My GP believes with low dose T and careful monitoring I can get my T-levels back to normal range and start living again.

It's good to hear from you! Given our medical histories, I get concerned when one of our regular contributors drops out of sight.

In my classification scheme, there is discouraged, there is seriously bummed out, and then there is depressed. The first two are emotional conditions that one can work through with time and maybe some outside help. Depressed is a physiological condition that calls for a medical intervention.

I had frequent, intense angina for the first couple of years after my heart attack. It was a relief when it finally receded into the background, but then I had so little energy that I could barely pick my feet up off the pavement. The adrenaline jolts from the angina must have been what was keeping me going. Long story short, it took several more years to get diagnosed with depression. After I got on an antidepressant (bupropion aka Wellbutrin), I came out of the black cloud and started feeling like maybe I wasn't done living after all. Fast forward a few years, and I thought that I should try weaning myself off of it. After a few weeks it was very clear that I still need it. I haven't detected any side effects with the bupropion, but even if I did I would probably accept them as a small price to pay for the difference it makes in my life. Bear in mind that I have been pretty hard core about getting off most of the meds they push on people with heart attacks.

Sex drive can be affected by depression, among other things. We're not as young as we used to be, either. Furthermore, the same disease process that clogs up arteries in our hearts can clog up arteries in other organs as well, which degrades their performance.

I considered testosterone therapy, but as I thought about it I got the uncomfortable feeling that it's basically just something the pharmaceutical industry came up with to monetize the normal aging process. Side effects are concern. And besides, I already have hair on my chest.

Wow..another vote for Wellbutrin. Minor 7th makes a good point. Depression occurs when one of the major brain chemicals drops below
a benchmark level and it is difficult to come back from it without antidepressants. 4 of the 5 members of my immediate family are on ADs. My father was the only one not . So there is a genetic component
to it also. Like Minor , the Wellbutrin gave me back my life. I dont want to be on it but was miserable before I stated it and now i have a pretty normal life. I have 2 stents and some heart damage because I didnt recognize the HA and waited too long to get help. Not sure if statins contribute to depression but they can definitely effect your memory.
I have a very strict diet ..low salt, low sugar, and my cholesterol has dropped to a level that they let me lower my Crestor to the minimum dose. A low dose is much easier on the body and mind. My resting heart rate is 49 to 51 from a LOT of cardio , so dont have to take beta blockers either. Maybe getting your T levels back to normal would help you mentally. But if that doesnt do it , at least consider the antidepressants . I will be on them forever but you might be fine in 6 to 9 months and be able to wean off. At least 40% of people who have heart attacks have depression. You are not alone.

Thanks guys for the responses! Well I had a check up yesterday with my cardiologist on GP's recommendation regarding the testosterone and he has given me the go ahead on low dose testosterone therapy. I think he was comfortable because I have been so diligent about recovery and resuming a normal life after HA and he is satisfied with my numbers. Heck my last stress test they actually stopped it cause they thought I would go the entire time. Lol.
One interesting fact is that a year after HA my T levels were average 518 and now they are 265 that's nearly a 50% drop over 7 years when it is known that T-levels are supposed to drop about 1% a year after age 30! This also coincided with the time frame of when I started to feel depressed and started on this cycle of trying to figure things out with therapist and antidepressants. Which I think worked for the kind of depression I was feeling at the time like Minor7th suggested.
I always wondered what long term usage of statins would do to me and I believe this is may be it. There is a lot of info out there suggesting this as well. All I really know is that I'm 43 years young and I've been given a second chance at life and I've been doing my best to live.