Taylor Bennett. Taylor Bennett is the Head of Content at Thriveworks. She received her BA in multimedia journalism with minors in professional writing and leadership from Virginia Tech. Browse top-rated therapists near you, and find one who meets your needs.

We accept most insurances, and offer weekend and evening sessions. The information on this page is not intended to replace assistance, diagnosis, or treatment from a clinical or medical professional. Readers are urged to seek professional help if they are struggling with a mental health condition or another health concern.

Learn Trauma , Mental Health Topics. What is Hypervigilance? As illustrated in the above scenarios, hypervigilance can manifest in somewhat different ways, but is typically characterized by the following signs: Marked paranoia, like Mikey worrying about the slightest noises he hears before falling asleep.

An increased startle reflex and response. For example, these individuals may jump at unexpected or loud sounds. An elevated heart rate and blood pressure.

Constant analysis of potential threats, as demonstrated by Chase on his grocery run. The overestimation of potential threats. The Roots of Hypervigilance As briefly touched on, hypervigilance is not a disorder itself but can be a direct result or symptom of a possible mental health condition, such as: Anxiety: Hypervigilance is often rooted in the wide range of anxiety disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder.

For example, an individual with social anxiety may be nervous and hypervigilant around other people and in public spaces, as demonstrated by Chase at the grocery store.

PTSD: Another common cause of hypervigilance is post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD , as illustrated above by Annalise. Annalise survived a house fire and has experienced intense fear, hypervigilance, and other PTSD symptoms ever since. Schizophrenia: Individuals who suffer from schizophrenia —a mental illness characterized by a range of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional dysfunctions—may also experience hypervigilance, which can worsen other symptoms of the condition as well, like paranoia and hallucinations.

Other Triggers: There are certain triggers that may cause or worsen hypervigilance, depending on its underlying cause, such as feeling trapped or abandoned, hearing loud noises, anticipating pain or fear, feeling pain or emotionally distressed, and being reminded of past traumas.

Coping with Hypervigilance Before one can receive effective treatment for their hypervigilance, a doctor must first determine the underlying cause.

Medication: More severe cases of anxiety, PTSD, and other disorders may require the prescription of medication such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety medicines. Writer Taylor Bennett. Fact-checked Why trust Thriveworks?

What does "fact-checked" mean? Why you can trust Thriveworks. Comprehensive Guide to Trauma and PTSD. EMDR therapy: What is eye movement desensitization and reprocessing? And how does it work?

Sexual trauma: What are the effects? And what treatment options are available? Find a provider Writer Taylor Bennett Taylor Bennett is the Head of Content at Thriveworks. Discover more hypervigilance sensitivity.

Struggling with trauma? Thriveworks can help. Popular articles. Jason Crosby 4 min read. Understanding hypervigilance can enable people to access the right sort of help and better manage their symptoms. This article explores the symptoms, causes, and treatments for hypervigilance. People experiencing hypervigilance are unusually sensitive to the environment and people around them.

It is not a condition in itself, but a way of behaving that may be caused by trauma or an underlying mental health problem. When someone experiences hypervigilance, their subconscious is constantly anticipating danger.

As a result, their senses are on high alert, ready to spot and respond to any danger. This super alertness makes people with hypervigilance feel and act as though there is always a threat around the corner. Normally, they are not responding to a real threat.

Rather, their brain is overanalyzing, and overreacting to, input from their senses. The way people behave when they are experiencing hypervigilance can seem similar to paranoia. However, there are important differences between the two mental states:. There are some physical symptoms of hypervigilance, but most symptoms are behavioral.

The physical signs and behaviors that people experiencing hypervigilance may show are explored below. The way a person behaves when they are experiencing hypervigilance can vary. However, there are some common types of behavior that often occur. Due to the way hypervigilance may cause people to behave, there can be some long-term complications.

These include:. As such, people fighting in the military or experiencing violence at home may exhibit hypervigilance with good reason. However, hypervigilance can also happen when there is not a real, physical danger. When this happens, it is as a result of a mental health condition.

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:. Hypervigilance is a key feature of PTSD, as people are in fear of re-living the trauma. This can cause them to be constantly on-guard, in anticipation of the trauma happening again.

People diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder GAD or social anxiety may experience hypervigilance. This is most likely to happen in new situations or when they meet new people.

However, there is some debate as to whether anxiety causes hypervigilance, or whether anxiety disorders result from hypervigilant behavior. A study , conducted on rats, found that a hypervigilant state made them more vulnerable to anxiety. More research is needed to understand whether hypervigilance is a symptom or a cause of anxiety disorders.

There are common triggers that can bring on hypervigilant behavior in those who are affected by it. These triggers include:.

The first step in treatment if a person experiences hypervigilance due to domestic violence or military combat, is to remove them from the dangerous environment. When someone experiences hypervigilance due to a mental health condition, other treatments that may help include:.

As well as taking medication if it is prescribed and attending therapy if they have been referred, people may look for other ways to manage hypervigilance.

Autophobia involves anxiety and fear of being isolated or alone. This article looks at the causes, symptoms, treatments, and related disorders. What is paranoia? Read on to learn more about paranoia, including its definition, symptoms, possible causes, and conditions related to paranoia.

Aquaphobia refers to an extreme or irrational fear of water. In this article, learn about the symptoms, potential causes, and treatment options…. Erythrophobia is the term for the fear of blushing.