What is hypervigilance?

Dr. Albers describes hypervigilance as a heightened state of awareness. “It’s your brain’s way of protecting you by scanning the environment for signs of danger and being extremely aware of your surroundings” she says.

To be clear, hypervigilance isn’t a diagnosis. It’s a symptom that occurs with a wide range of different conditions — both mental and physical. It’s perhaps easiest to think about hypervigilance as a natural instinct gone awry.

“Hypervigilance is a basic human survival mechanism,” Dr. Albers explains. “It allows us to sense predators and threats to our safety. But with hypervigilance, you’re feel like you’re constantly under threat.” Put differently, the amygdala — the part of your brain that’s responsible for managing emotions — is on overdrive.

Perpetual fight-or-flight

You’ve probably heard of the fight-or-flight instinct. It’s a mental and physical response to perceived danger. In an attempt to survive, our bodies undergo big physiological changes when we’re threatened. Certain processes — like digestion — slow down. Meanwhile, Dr. Albers says, our bodies get flooded by adrenaline.

“You have higher blood pressure, your heart rate increases, your pupils dilate and your body prepares itself to respond to the threat,” she explains.

All of these changes — and others — serve an evolutionary purpose. You may become pale or flushed, for example, because your body is diverting blood to your brain and limbs. Your muscles may tense up or tremble, primed to react quickly if needed.

When our frontal cortex — the part of our brain that makes decisions — gets flooded with hormones, Dr. Albers says it produces emotions that “are so intense that they knock out any logic or reason.”

These automatic responses are beneficial when we find ourselves in genuine danger. But for people who are hypervigilant, fight-or-flight is the default mode. The result is physical, mental and emotional discomfort.

Hypervigilance causes

There’s a long list of medical and mental health conditions that can trigger hypervigilance. That list includes:

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD).Anxiety and panic disorders.Depression.Personality disorders.Neurodegenerative conditions like dementia.Adrenal disorders.Fibromyalgia.

Dr. Albers says that hypervigilance is sometimes just a personality trait. “Sometimes, a person is just more aware and mindful of their environment or other people’s feelings, but