Hypervigilance is a heightened state of awareness that allows humans to sense threats in their environment.
People who are in a perpetual state of hypervigilance feel like they are constantly under a threat. The part of the human brain that manages emotions, the amygdala, is in overdrive.
What Causes Hypervigilance?
This article focuses on psychological trauma. However, there are other potential mental and physical causes of hypervigilance including:
Hypervigilance and Unresolved Childhood Trauma
Children who grow up in a dysfunctional family where parents might be unpredictable, violent, abusing substances, physically abusive or neglectful learn to be hypervigilant as an unconscious survival strategy. They learn to sense their parents' shifting moods so they can be ready at all times to protect their safety.
Without help in therapy, these traumatized children usually grow up to be traumatized adults and they continue to be hypervigilant in their surroundings.
Examples of Hypervigilance in Adults
- Hypervigilance to Their Surroundings: People who grew up in an abusive family or who experienced abusive relationships as an adult might have a strong startle response reflex where they are startled by the slightest sound or movement.
- Hypervigilance to Other People's Thoughts, Feelings and Behavior: People who experience hypervigilance might be very observant of other people's thoughts, feelings, behavior and body language for any signs of change or potential danger.
- Hypervigilance of Their Own Body: People who experience serious medical problems or who have someone close to them who have experienced serious medical problems are often hypervigilant of their own body. A minor experience of pain might be perceived as a catastrophic disease.
- Hypervigilance and Catastrophizing: People who are hypervigilant tend to create negative narratives in their mind which can spin out of control. Small things, like a friend not responding to a text immediately, can develop into a catastrophic story where the friend has died. Even when things are going well, people who are hypervigilant might find it difficult to enjoy happy times because they are always waiting for the other shoe to drop (see my article: Are You Catastrophizing?).
- Hypervigilance and Insecurities: Since hypervigilance is mostly about preventing or avoiding potential threats, people who are hypervigilant might attempt to ward off threats by people pleasing or fawning. They might struggle with regulating their emotions or trusting others. They might have problems letting their guard down so they can relax or they might be fearful they will say or do the "wrong thing" (see my article: Trauma and the Fawn Response
- Hypervigilance and Avoidant Behavior: People who struggle with hypervigilance can be avoidant in ways that are detrimental to themselves and others. They might avoid people, places and things they fear. This can cause problems in their personal life as well as their career. For instance, if they experience minor turbulence on a plane trip, they might avoid ever getting on a plane again--even if it means they won't see close friends or family members or they might lose a job that involves travel. Another example is if someone is in a minor car accident where no one was hurt, they might avoid driving again--even if it means they can't visit people close to them or go to work. A third example: If someone goes through a bad breakup, they might avoid dating or getting into another relationship. In other words, many other people, who don't experience hypervigilance, might be hesitant after having a bad relationship experience, but they learn to cope and they don't avoid. In contrast, the person who is hypervigilant takes it to an extreme because it's their way of protecting themselves. However, in the process, they don't learn to cope or overcome their fears. They remain stuck (see my article: What is Avoidant Behavior?).
What is the Potential Physical and Psychological Impact of Hypervigilance?
People who experience hypervigilance might experience some or all of the following characteristics:
- Chronic Stress: A constant flood of cortisol and adrenaline is exhausting and can cause medical, emotional and psychological problems.
- Relationship Problems: While people who experience hypervigilance might be more aware of potential red flags in a relationship, they might also have problems getting close or trusting even in a healthy situation. They might be overly sensitive or emotionally overreactive to a partner's comments. Some people might avoid getting involved in relationships at all because o they fear getting hurt (see my article: How Trauma Can Affect Your Ability to Be Emotionally Vulnerable in a Romantic Relationship).
- Loneliness and Isolation: A fear of making friends or seeking romantic relationships due to fear of getting hurt, can lead to isolation and loneliness (see my article: Loneliness and Social Isolation).
How to Cope With Hypervigilance
Here are some interventions that might be helpful to you:
- Grounding Exercises: You can learn to calm yourself with breathing exercises, mindfulness meditation and journaling.
- Limiting or Eliminating Coffee, Alcohol or Other Substances: If you notice you feel worse after drinking coffee or alcohol, consider either limiting your intake or eliminating these substances.
- Seeking Help in Trauma Therapy: If you work with a trauma therapist, you can learn to:
- Identify your triggers
- Learn to overcome your triggers
- Be able to differentiate your feelings from objective reality (see my article: Discovering Your Thoughts and Feelings Aren't Facts)
- Work through the psychological trauma underlying your hypervigilance so you are free from your traumatic history
Trauma therapy includes various types of therapy that were developed specifically to help people to overcome trauma.
These include:
- EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy)
- AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy)
- Parts Work Therapy (including Internal Family Systems Therapy and Ego States Therapy)
When you work with a skilled trauma therapist, you can overcome hypervigilance and unresolved psychological trauma.
Rather than struggling nn your own, seek help from a licensed mental health professional who is a trauma therapist so you can lead a more fulfilling life.
About Me
I am a licensed New York psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR, AEDP, EFT (for couples) and Certified Sex Therapist.
I work with individual adults and couples (see my article: What is a Trauma Therapist?).
To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.
To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.
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