Program: How Libby Trickett is dealing with health anxiety after a SCAD heart attack

After hanging up the Olympic swimming goggles, growing and birthing five beautiful children, Libby Trickett was ready to make her 40s the decade of health and fitness. 

But last June she had what she thought was a bad panic attack. Eight months later, she found out it was actually a spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) heart attack.

SCAD mostly affects otherwise healthy women in their 40s and 50s, and there's still not a great deal known about exactly what causes SCAD or the best way to prevent it.

For many SCAD survivors, that uncertainty can be incredibly anxiety-inducing. And while the physical recovery from a cardiac event is paramount, psychological or emotional after-care can be just as important.

Guests:

• Libby Trickett, seven-time Olympic swimming medalist, mum of five and survivor of a SCAD heart attack
• Dr Barbara Murphy, associate director of the Australian Centre for Heart Health and psychosocial researcher who focuses on caring for patients following cardiac events