Coping with Scanxiety: How to Handle the Stress of Follow-Up Tests
The weeks—or even days—before a follow-up scan can feel unbearable. You may find yourself lying awake at night, bracing for the worst. Every ache, cough, or flutter of fatigue triggers the thought: What if it’s back?
This heightened anxiety around medical tests is so common that it has a name: scanxiety. For women in Georgia navigating cancer, chronic illness, or serious medical histories, scanxiety can feel like reliving the trauma all over again.
The fear is real, and it deserves compassion. But there are ways to steady yourself and help your nervous system through the storm.
Why scanxiety happens
Scanxiety isn’t just “overthinking.” It’s a survival response. Your nervous system remembers the shock of diagnosis, the pain of treatment, or the fear of hearing life-changing news in a sterile office. Follow-up scans become triggers—reminders that you could once again lose control.
Common symptoms of scanxiety include:
Racing heart or shortness of breath.
Insomnia leading up to appointments.
Irritability, panic, or dread.
Difficulty focusing or functioning in daily life.
Physical symptoms like nausea or headaches.
This isn’t weakness. It’s your body doing its best to protect you from possible danger—even if the threat isn’t immediate.
Nervous system tools for scanxiety
Therapy for scanxiety works by calming the body’s alarm system. Some practices you can begin at home include:
Grounding breath: Slow inhale, longer exhale, and noticing the weight of your body supported by the chair or bed.
Orienting: Gently look around the room, name what you see, and remind yourself: Right now, I am safe.
Havening touch: Slowly stroke your arms from shoulders to elbows. This simple psychosensory technique soothes the amygdala and reduces anxiety.
Soft eyes: Let your gaze widen instead of locking in one place. This signals safety to your nervous system.
These practices don’t erase the fear—but they help your body settle enough to carry you through the waiting, the scan, and the follow-up.
Validating the fear of recurrence
One of the hardest parts of scanxiety is the feeling that you “should” be calmer by now—that you’re overreacting or wasting energy. But the truth is: fear of recurrence is normal.
Whether you’ve faced cancer, long COVID, or another life-threatening condition, your body remembers. Therapy provides a space to name that fear without judgment, so it no longer has to live unspoken and unprocessed.
Validation itself is healing. When your fear is acknowledged, your nervous system can begin to loosen its grip.
How therapy supports women with scanxiety
In my work with women in Georgia, I’ve seen how trauma-informed, somatic therapy can make the difference between dreading scans and approaching them with steadiness. Therapy helps you:
Develop regulation skills you can use before, during, and after appointments.
Rebuild trust in your body after trauma or illness.
Grieve and process the ongoing uncertainty of survivorship or chronic illness.
Feel less alone in an experience that so many silently carry.
Online therapy options in Georgia
Follow-up tests may always carry some anxiety. But you don’t have to navigate scanxiety alone. Online therapy in Georgia provides accessible support right where you are—so you can walk into your next appointment with more calm, steadiness, and self-compassion.
Because recovery isn’t only about physical health. It’s also about learning how to live with the uncertainty, without letting fear run your life.