Hypervigilance (more accurately understood as Hyper-awareness) is a condition in which the
nervous system
In biology, the nervous system is the highly complex part of an animal that coordinates its actions and sensory information by transmitting signals to and from different parts of its body. The nervous system detects environmental changes ...
is filtering sensory information and the individual is in an enhanced state of
sensory sensitivity or sensory domination. The name itself is misleading as vigilance is not an interest in violence, but more likely a self defense. These symptoms are unique to the individual's encounters and youth experience. This appears to be linked to a different nervous system which can often be caused by traumatic events or
PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on ...
.
Normally, the nervous system releases stress signals in certain situations as a
defense mechanism
In psychoanalytic theory, a defence mechanism (American English: defense mechanism), is an unconscious psychological operation that functions to protect a person from anxiety-producing thoughts and feelings related to internal conflicts and o ...
to protect one from perceived dangers. In some cases, the nervous system becomes intermittently or chronically unbalanced, causing a release of stress signals that are unique to the situation.
Hyper-awareness may bring about a state of increased
anxiety
Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...
which can cause
exhaustion.
All humans experience a perpetual scanning of the environment to search for sights, sounds, people, behaviors, smells, or anything else that is reminiscent of activity, threat or
trauma
Trauma most often refers to:
*Major trauma, in physical medicine, severe physical injury caused by an external source
*Psychological trauma, a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a severely distressing event
*Traumatic inju ...
. In this case the individual is avoiding danger. Hypervigilance (hyper-awareness) can lead to a variety of trust issues. The stress created by this lifestyle is not psychosis but a normal human emotion.
Hyper-awareness is differentiated from
dysphoric hyperarousal in that the person remains cogent and aware of their surroundings. In dysphoric hyperarousal, a person with PTSD may lose contact with reality and re-experience the traumatic event verbatim. The name itself is misleading as vigilance is not an interest in violence, but more likely a self defense. Many people connect the word to violence by default. Hyper-awareness is more accurate for those seeking to understand the condition.
Hyper-awareness is likely a symptom of
post-traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats o ...
(PTSD) and various types of
anxiety disorder
Anxiety disorders are a cluster of mental disorders characterized by significant and uncontrollable feelings of anxiety and fear such that a person's social, occupational, and personal function are significantly impaired. Anxiety may cause phy ...
s. It is distinguished from
paranoia
Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy c ...
. Paranoid diagnoses, such as can occur in
schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social w ...
, can seem superficially similar, but are characteristically different.
Symptoms
People suffering from Hyper-awareness may become preoccupied with scanning their environment for possible threats. They might 'overreact' to loud and unexpected noises, exhibit an overactive startle response or become agitated in highly
crowded or noisy environments. They will often have a difficult time getting to
sleep
Sleep is a sedentary state of mind and body. It is characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited Perception, sensory activity, reduced muscle activity and reduced interactions with surroundings. It is distinguished from wakefuln ...
or staying asleep. These symptoms are unique to their individual encounters and youth experience.
Do you know signs of hypervigilance?
by Dr. Joyce Brothers, Seattle PI, August 16, 2006. Sustained states of hyper-awareness, lasting for a decade or more, will require an immersive positive reinforcement treatment plan in a balanced environment with healthy people. After resolution of the situation demanding their attention, people exhibiting hyper-awareness may be exhausted and will require exposure therapy before returning to normal activities.
See also
* Trauma trigger
A trauma trigger is a psychological stimulus that prompts involuntary recall of a previous traumatic experience. The stimulus itself need not be frightening or traumatic and may be only indirectly or superficially reminiscent of an earlier trauma ...
References
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Symptoms and signs of mental disorders
Post-traumatic stress disorder