.png)
Hypervigilance is an intense state of being on high alert, where a person is constantly scanning their environment for threats even when there is no real danger. Picture going out to a crowded restaurant and instead of just focusing on the person you're with, you are looking around at all the other customers and assessing their behavior, looking for the exits, and you sit facing the door, rather than having your back to the door.
People who are hypervigilant often feel:
Jumpy
Anxious
Easily startled
Hypervigilance is common in people who have:
Experienced trauma
Anxiety disorders
Experienced combat
Experienced high-stress environments
When a person experiences hypervigilance, their nervous system is in a state of heightened arousal, driven by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS)—the system responsible for the fight, flight or freeze response. This means the body is prepared to respond to perceived threats, even when no real danger is present.
During hypervigilance, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is dysregulated, often staying in a prolonged state of activation.
Some symptoms might include:
Feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop
Emotional outbursts
Sleep difficulty
Overwhelm when in crowds
Always scanning the environment
Preparing for the worst
Excessive worry
Inability to focus
Some physiological signs may include:
Increased heart rate
Rapid or shallow breathing
Muscle tension
Dilated pupils
Heightened startle response
Since the body remains in this alert state for extended periods, it can lead to:
Fatigue
Anxiety
Difficulties with relaxation or staying present in your body
For long-term regulation, the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS)—responsible for rest-and-digest functions—needs to be specifically targeted and engaged through:
Relaxation techniques
Mindfulness
Therapeutic interventions, like EMDR
This is why things like yoga, meditation and breathing techniques are often offered as ways to help calm you when you are dysregulated.
Comments