Hypnotherapy for Smear Test Anxiety

Cervical smear tests are generally advised to be done every 5 years, however for some women this is more frequent due to previous test results or medical requirements.

For many women the thought of having a smear test is not just an inconvenience or embarrassment, it is far anxiety inducing.

Many of my clients describe dreading the appointment for weeks beforehand, not sleeping the night before, having panic attacks before the appointment or even cancelling the appointment or rescheduling due to fear.

Pain is a real problem for many women, it can range from mild discomfort to intense pain depending on the individual.

Cervical Screening

Cervical screening or smear tests as they are often known, is testing for Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

HPV is very common, any it is likely that you may have already had it at some point in your life, in most cases, your immune system can get rid of the virus without you ever knowing you had it. There are many different types of HPV, some types can cause abnormal cell changes, but only some types can lead to cancer, these types do not cause any symptoms.

Dormant HPV can stay in the body for many years at undetectable levels without causing any problems, the HPV infection can become active again years after you have it, which is why testing is important to pick up any abnormal cells or changes since your last test.

Anxiety over Smear Test Appointments

The test itself if not particularly long, but as we know when it comes to anxiety the rational and reasonable explanations and realities are rarely what creates the anxious thought and feelings.

If it is your first appointment, it is really normal to be apprehensive and and have some concerns around what will happen and what it will feel like. If you are already anxious or have health related anxiety this might make the situation feel worse. For some women simply going to the doctors surgery can create anxiety, this can make the experience feel much worse.

If you have had a smear test already you may have felt anxious during the appointment, the brain stores learned experiences and therefore you will remember that feeling and likely repeat those memories when thinking of future appointments, this will bring back those old anxious feelings and create a new association that will strengthen the belief that smear tests should be feared, so it can be a vicious cycle.

If you experienced pain during the test that will be stored in the brain, smear tests are particularly vulnerable so feeling pain during this can make you feel unsafe, this can actually increase the experience of pain and re-create that fear when you think about it.

The brain tends to repeat what is learnt and is believed to be important information, so it is very easy to feel scared and anxious about future smear tests.

How can hypnotherapy help with smear test Anxiety?

• Reducing Anxiety and Fear: Hypnotherapy works with the subconscious fear patterns that have been learnt, we can reframe and create new beliefs that are more supportive and positive. All coping behaviours are there to protect you, however, sometimes the brain misreads the situation as unsafe and dangerous, so we have to learn to feel safe and protected in these situations. We work together to create a new pattern of safety and add to this with some small changes that can help you to feel calmer and more in control of your emotions prior to the appointment. It can also help to add some some positive 'rewards' after to create the new trigger and response pattern.

• Managing Physical Tension: The deep relaxation induced during hypnosis can help relax the pelvic floor and other muscles, making the physical examination less uncomfortable. It is possible to learn to stay in this relaxed state for as long as needed to reduce the awareness of the procedure and to relax even in discomfort.

• Feeling more emotionally regulated: Self-hypnosis techniques such as a safety anchor can allow you to visit your safe and calm place which gives the mind and body time to regulate. You can regain control of physical and emotional responses, rather than feeling taken over by panic.

• Peripharal awarenesss: Hypnotherapy can train you to stay focused on one thing rather than the medical and sterile setting or equipment used, allowing you to feel more in control of your focus and attention.

• Addressing Root Causes: For those with a history of trauma (such as vaginismus or previous sexual trauma), hypnotherapy can create a new feeling, detaching this current experience from the past, and work to heal from the past if that is something that you are looking to do alongside the sessions for anxiety.

If you want to work with a compassionate and person centered therapist who will work with you in a forward focused way to learn new patterns and cope better, get in touch for a free call or a full consultation where we can go over everything and come up with a plan to help you.