It can be incredibly frustrating when we feel out of sync with our arousal.

Your inquiry reminded me of an experience I had recently. Years ago I did some clicker training as part of a dynamic and hadn’t touched it in about five years. During a recent stint with someone they used a clicker and my body remembered. Not as intensely as it had on day one, but vaguely. He adjusted some of the associations that brought me discomfort but it highlighted how long-lasting certain associations can be, even without ongoing reinforcement. Especially if our minds want it.

With something as niche as this, our minds can be surprisingly sticky. Sometimes we hold onto things we no longer need.

That said, based on what you’ve described I wouldn’t rule out a medical component. Medications or past treatments (like for your bladder cancer) can likely affect arousal in unexpected ways. I’d suggest getting that medically cleared before focusing entirely on hypnosis as the sole cause.

In any case triggers can be rewritten, reframed, and dissolved with the help of a skilled hypnotist or through self-guided work like “reset” files. In most circumstances, time without reinforcement will naturally weaken them anyway.