aggression after heart attack

Question

Hi, my partner of 20 years had a major heart attack 5 years ago, because the paramedics weren't able to reach him as he was miles from anywhere, part of his heart 'died'. he was fitted with a stent and up until about a year ago everything was fine, but then he started to become quite aggressive towards me and gets 'wound up over the slightest thing. He has no patience at all, for example if he has to queue for anything, he will either walk away fuming, or become more more agitated and say that everyone is useless and should be sacked, all because he is in a queue and not being attended to immediately. Traffic jams are a nightmare because he can't go anywhere or if he can he speeds around a corner like a maniac. I try to stay calm and explain that the only person he is affecting is himself and the person he is annoyed with isn't affected at all but nothing makes any difference.

ed34 · Answer

My point was that the ops heart attack was 5 years ago and everything has been fine until recently. What has changed in the last 4 years to cause it? because I doubt if its his heart. One suggestion is, when he is relaxed, talk to him and remind him that getting stressed will be a short cut to death. He has already lost a part of his heart and stress is a killer.

Occupant · Answer

They are talking so much about former football (American) and now also hockey players were the symptoms of brain injuries appear only years later, after their playing days are over, and that can only be corroborated by autopsies - who is to say that injuries due to oxygen starvation aren't similar to that?

AutumnSplendor57 · Answer

True after I passed out & injured my brain, my personality has changed some I am a bit more angry at times than I should be & my taste in things like colors have changed to colors I hated before. It's very strange how the brain reacts to any kind of injury be it lack of oxygen which I have had often happen when my heart stops & the falling when passing out causing injury to my head every time.

ed34 · Answer

Really? after 5 years?

Ger57 · Answer

After a major heart attack people need to recover physically as well as emotionally and this can take quite some time.
Only few people say their heart attack has not affected them too much emotionally. 
Most people will in months-years learn to accept what had happened to them, and they made a conscious effort to put it behind them and to move forward. 
A few still struggle to cope with their emotions several years after their heart attack.

Those emotions often are anger, frustration, irritability and short temperedness and depression.

I think 5 years is a long time and chances are slim that things will change soon.
f it affects his and your life so much, perhaps you should talk about it with a phychiatrist.

Occupant · Answer

I think, there is more to this than is implied in ed34's question. Oxygen starvation of the brain even if only for a short time can affect personality changes over time.