Hypervigilance: not knowing the unknown is agrivating. With schizophrenia, I’m on constant hypervigilance. I never know when the next delusion or hallucination is going to pop-up.
Basically, I could be feeling fine, and the next minute I’m thrown into chaos. Seeing and hearing things that aren’t there. What a way to live!
That’s why I never wanted any children because I would have passed all these mental illnesses to that child just as my mother did to me. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.
I was trying to be unselfish. But I deal with constant hypervigilance because of the illnesses. Especially with the schizophrenia.
Hypervigilant Meaning
Hypervigilant meaning: You might recognize vigilance or hypervigilance as a stance that someone assumes towards the world.
Albeit, every person uses their brain/mind to perceive the world and to act on the world. Perception of the world can be a virtue in its own right.
However, using and processing your perceptions to act on the world is really required to gain forward momentum in life.
If someone has been traumatized and is hypervigilant, they will be stuck in processing and reacting to the world.
Think of the consequences of being stuck always monitoring, processing, and reacting to the world around you.
It’s an anxious state. It’s a tense state. Therefore, it’s a distressing state of arousal.
What does Hypervigilant Feel Like?
Hypervigilance: not knowing the unknown is a pain in the ass. Altogether, hypervigilance is a state of increased alertness. If you’re in a state of hypervigilance, you’re extremely sensitive to your surroundings.
It can make you feel like you’re alert to any hidden dangers, whether from other people or the environment. Often, though, these dangers are not real.
What Trauma Causes Hypervigilance?
Accordingly, hypervigilance is one of the central features of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Other hypervigilance examples can also occur with other anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, substance/medication-induced anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder.
Schizophrenia, dementia, and paranoia can also induce hypervigilance.
Is Hypervigilance a Part of ADHD?
Yes, hypervigilance can be a symptom of ADHD in children. Consequently, hypervigilance is a state of increased anxiety that can make someone constantly monitor their environment.
Children with ADHD may quickly scan situations for cues and draw conclusions based on a few details, which can lead to misjudgments.
What is the Hypervigilance Cycle?
Hypervigilance: not knowing the unknown is scary. Undoubtedly, this can limit their ability to think logically, problem solve, or respond appropriately to demands.
Hypervigilance syndrome is a condition that can affect people, especially first responders, and involves a cycle between two phases: on-duty and off-duty.
On-duty
People in a heightened state of alertness may feel alive and funny, and be quick to think and act. However, hypervigilance can’t be sustained for long periods of time.
Off-duty
After being on duty, people may experience a “lower phase” of the cycle, where they feel exhausted, detached, apathetic, or isolated.
Over time, their bodies may have difficulty returning to a healthy level of arousal, and they may only exist in the extremes of being highly vigilant or indifferent.
Therefore, this phase can have a significant impact on relationships.
Causes of Hypervigilance
Comparatively, hypervigilance can be caused by different mental health conditions:
Anxiety
At any rate, anxiety is one of the most common causes of hypervigilance. If you have generalized anxiety disorder, you might be hypervigilant in new situations or environments that you’re unfamiliar with.
If you have social anxiety, you may be hypervigilant in the presence of others, especially new people or people you don’t trust.
PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome)
Hypervigilance: not knowing the unknown can lead to PTSD. PTSD is another common a cause of hypervigilance. At the same time, PTSD can cause you to be tense. You may constantly scan the area for perceived threats.
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that people can develop after experiencing or seeing a traumatic or life-threatening event. Events that can cause PTSD include:
- firstly, military combat
- death of a loved one
- sexual assault
- serious accidents
- lastly, prolonged bullying
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia can also cause hypervigilance. Hypervigilance can worsen other symptoms of the condition, such as paranoia or hallucinations.
Common triggers
Concurrently, there are some common triggers that can cause or contribute to episodes of hypervigilance. These include:
- firstly, feeling trapped or claustrophobic
- feeling abandoned
- additionally, hearing loud noises (especially if they’re sudden or emotionally charged), which can include yelling, arguments, and sudden bangs
- anticipating pain, fear, or judgment
- feeling judged or unwelcome
- in addition, feeling physical pain
- feeling emotional distress
- being reminded of past traumas
- lastly, being around random, chaotic behaviors of others
Hypervigilance Symptoms
Equally important, there are physical, behavioral, emotional, and mental symptoms that can go with hypervigilance:
Physical symptoms
Henceforth, physical symptoms may resemble those of anxiety. These may include:
- sweating
- a fast heart rate
- fast, shallow breathing
Over time, this constant state of alertness can cause fatigue and exhaustion.
Behavioral symptoms
Generally, behavioral symptoms include jumpy reflexes and fast, knee-jerk reactions to your environment.
If you’re hypervigilant, you may overreact if you hear a loud bang or if you misunderstand a coworker’s statement as rude.
However, these reactions may be violent or hostile in a perceived attempt to defend yourself.
Emotional symptoms
Hypervigilance: not knowing the unknown has emotional consequences.
The emotional symptoms of hypervigilance can be severe. These can include:
- firstly, increased, severe anxiety
- fear
- panic
- lastly, worrying that can become persistent
You may fear judgment from others, or you may judge others extremely harshly.
Therefore, this may develop into black-and-white thinking in which you find things either absolutely right or absolutely wrong.
You can also become emotionally withdrawn. You may experience mood swings or outbursts of emotion.
Mental symptoms
Mental symptoms of hypervigilance can include paranoia. This may be accompanied by rationalization to justify the hypervigilance.
It can also be difficult for those who experience frequent hypervigilance, like those with PTSD, to sleep well.
Long-term symptoms
Consequently, if you experience recurring hypervigilance, you may start to develop behaviors to calm your anxiety or counteract perceived threats.
If you fear assault or danger, for example, you may start carrying a concealed weapon.
If you have severe social anxiety, you may rely on day dreaming or non-participation in events. Particularly, these symptoms can result in social isolation and damaged relationships.
Hypervigilance Anxiety
Hypervigilance is a state of heightened awareness and alertness that can be related to anxiety.
Furthermore, it can feel overwhelming and exhausting, and can affect many aspects of life.
People who are hypervigilant are constantly scanning their environment for potential threats, even when they aren’t real.
By the same token, this can lead to a vicious cycle of increased anxiety and hypervigilance, as the hyper-awareness can reinforce anxious thoughts.
Hypervigilance is often associated with anxiety disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and social anxiety.
In addition, hypervigilance can also be caused by physical conditions like hypothyroidism or childhood trauma.
Hypervigilance vs. Paranoia
Hypervigilance: not knowing the unknown vs paranoia. The way people behave when they are experiencing hypervigilance can seem similar to paranoia. However, there are important differences between the two mental states:
- Delusion vs. being on guard: In paranoia, people hold specific, untrue beliefs that certain people or things are out to get them. People experiencing hypervigilance do not have any fixed beliefs about a specific thing happening, however. They are not delusional but just on high alert.
- Now vs. in the future: In paranoia, people have a delusional belief that someone or something is trying to harm them now, in the present. In hypervigilance, people are on guard in anticipation of something bad happening in the future.
- Lack of awareness vs. insight: In paranoia, people will not be aware that they are suffering from an illness and may believe that their delusions are true. In hypervigilance, people often have an awareness that there is no objective reason to be on edge, but find it hard to relax nonetheless.
Hypervigilance Treatment
Hypervigilance Medication
Medications can help manage hypervigilance symptoms, but the specific medication depends on the cause of the hypervigilance.
Hypervigilance: not knowing the unknown can be controlled with certain treatments. A healthcare professional can advise you on the best medication for your needs, medical history, and preferences.
Some medications that may be prescribed for hypervigilance include:
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs): These antidepressants increase serotonin levels in the brain, which can help regulate mood and reduce anxiety. Examples include fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft).
- Benzodiazepines: These depressant drugs can provide short-term relief for severe anxiety or panic symptoms. Such as lorazepam (Ativan), clonazepam (Klonopin), alprazolam (Xanax), and diazepam (Valium).
- Selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs): These medications may be prescribed for hypervigilance related to PTSD, include duloxetine and venlafaxine.
- Prazosin: Hence, this medication may be prescribed for hypervigilance related to PTSD.
- Buspirone: Using this non-addictive anti-anxiety medication to treat hypervigilance.
Hyperviligance Therapy Treatment
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT is often effective at helping to treat anxiety. Moreover, in these sessions, you’ll talk about your past experiences as well as your current problems and fears. Your therapist will guide these conversations. In a word, your therapist can help you identify what causes your hypervigilance and how to deal with it.
Exposure therapy: Exposure therapy can be helpful if you have PTSD. For the most part, exposure therapy allows you to safely face fears and memories of trauma slowly so that you can learn how to manage the flashbacks and anxiety.
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): EMDR combines exposure therapy with guided eye movements. Given that, this can ultimately change how you react to traumatic memories.
Does Hypervigilance Ever Go Away?
Hypervigilance can be an ongoing experience for some people, but it can also come and go.
For example, if the trigger for hypervigilance is mild, people may be able to respond well over time and return to normal functioning.
Hypervigilance that’s caused by a recent event, like a near-miss accident, may also go away on its own.
Hypervigilance is often a symptom of mental health disorders, like anxiety and PTSD.
While you may feel defeated at times, therapy and medications can help treat hypervigilance, and self-care goes a long way in helping you feel better over time.
Sum It All Up
Hypervigilance: not knowing the unknown is all you have left. Your task is to refrain from searching so desperately for evidence of harm.
Regardless, if something needs your attention, I assure you that you will find out about it in a “normal” kind of way; the way we eventually find out about things.
Not because we were repeatedly checking to see whether everything was safe, but rather because things that are relevant simply become known.
Learn to live with ambiguity. Relax into knowing that, without hypervigilance, you have relatively complete and accurate information.
Therefore, the ambiguity that is in and around you is an unclear, imperfect, benign presence that can be trusted and accepted.
What’s more, the Unknown that you fight so vehemently – that you fear, blame, rail against, and pray would become Real so that it could finally leave you alone – is often better than every known thing you have ever wanted to control.
Notwithstanding, let me put it another way: every good thing in your life that surprised you was previously unknown to you.
Obviously, you didn’t anticipate or create the people who showed up and loved you. You didn’t manage or direct the gifts that you were given, either literally or metaphorically.
In any event, live with the Unknown, because the stuff that will make you happy will be the stuff that you never could have predicted. Until next time…
Articles About Hypervigilance
-What Is Hypervigilance a Symptom of?
https://psychcentral.com/health/hypervigilance#what-is-hypervigilance
-Hypervigilance: Understanding, managing, and treating symptoms
https://perks.optum.com/blog/hypervigilant
-Hyper-vigilance Syndrome
Have a Good One,
Cindee Murphy, One Voice In The Vastness Of Emotions
“Trauma is personal. It does not disappear if it is not validated. When it is ignored or invalidated the silent screams continue internally heard only by the one held captive. When someone enters the pain and hears the screams, healing can begin.” – Danielle Bernock
“Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence.” – Peter A. Levine
“Trauma changes you. Healing is about creating a new version of yourself, the one that is stronger, wiser, and more compassionate.” – Michele Rosenthal
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