Recovering from a Blood Clot: What’s Mental Health Got to Do With It?

Having a blood clot can affect many aspects of your life. In addition to physical symptoms like pain and swelling, it’s not uncommon to experience mental health challenges after a clot, such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

We spoke with Dr. Kerstin de Wit, an emergency room physician, thrombosis expert, and researcher at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada. She shared insights about how blood clots can affect your mental health and why it's important to take care of both your body and mind during recovery.

The Emotional Toll of a Blood Clot

Many people feel a lot of emotional distress after learning they have a blood clot. A common fear is recurrence. “Patients often return to the emergency department worried they have another blood clot. They might feel pain or tightness in their chest and get scared,” Dr. de Wit said. Even though the physical symptoms may have gone away, anxiety is still a big concern.

Recognizing and Managing Mental Health After a Blood Clot

It can sometimes be hard to tell if symptoms are from another clot or just due to stress. For example, chest pain or shortness of breath can mimic both anxiety attacks and pulmonary embolism (PE), which can worsen anxiety. To help tell the difference, Dr. de Wit shared these key differences in symptoms:

Groups More Prone to Mental Health Challenges After a Clot

Dr. de Wit explained that anyone can experience mental health challenges after a blood clot. Experts are only now beginning to understand how common these issues can be. She noted that it’s hard to say which groups of people might have more trouble after PE. 

People who've had mental health struggles before their clot might find their blood clot recovery to be a little more challenging. “If you’ve dealt with depression or anxiety before, it’s important to pay extra attention to your mental health after a PE,” she said. "The hope is that those individuals already have some mental health resources to access during recovery.”

Addressing Mental Health With Your Doctor

It’s important to talk about how you’re feeling physically and mentally with your healthcare team. Dr. de Wit encourages people to be open about their concerns. Ask for help, such as a referral to a mental health professional or other resources, if needed.

Asking questions during follow-up visits can also help reduce anxiety and provide a clearer understanding of your condition and recovery process. Some helpful questions to ask include:

• What is PE?

• How does PE form?

• How do blood clots end up in the lungs?

• Does having PE increase my risk of a heart attack or stroke?

• How long will it take to recover from a PE?

Dr. de Wit emphasized that there is a close connection between mental and physical health in blood clot recovery. "I believe that patients can't truly be healthy physically without also taking care of their mental health," she explained. Seeking support, addressing mental health concerns, and working closely with the healthcare team can improve overall well-being and quality of life after a clot. Focusing on both mind and body is key to recovery.

Meet the Expert

Dr. Kerstin de Wit holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Emergency Venous Thromboembolism and is a Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Queen’s University. She works clinically as an emergency physician and thrombosis physician at Kingston Health Sciences.