Have you ever felt like somebody was around the corner ready to attack you? If you’ve had that feeling, it’s an example of hypervigilance. If you’re continuously anxious, your body will likely feel it. You could feel it in your shoulders, or you could feel tingling in your body, for example. Or, maybe your senses become heightened, and you see things in an extremely “sharp” way. Whatever the case is, your body is aware, and on guard, in case somebody tries to attack you or danger is imminent. Whether the threat is real or perceived, it is important to recognize this feeling.
Trauma connected to your body
People that have PTSD experience anxiety because they’re afraid something dangerous will happen to them. It’s because they have been through significant trauma in their lives. Maybe they’re walking down the street where the traumatic incident occurred, and they are reminded of being attacked, or it could be that there was an event that affected many people such as a bank robbery. Maybe they pass a bank, start shaking, and become hyper-aware as a result of their past trauma. They’re afraid that something terrible is going to happen even though it’s highly unlikely that the same incident can happen again; however they’re hypervigilant, and their body starts to tense up. They could begin to have a panic attack or become short of breath. They might start to hyperventilate, which is a normal response to being triggered.
Triggers and hypervigilance
When a person is triggered, their body reacts. Remember the example at the bank where the person was terrified? I know a man who was terrified of riding a commuter train in New Jersey. I asked him why he was afraid. He said that he was scared that something terrible was going to happen. I wondered if something terrible had happened to him on the train before. When I asked, he said that nothing had. His triggers may not have to do with something traumatic that happened to him. Instead, he likely lives with anxiety. He has associated trains with being dangerous. It could be that he watched a documentary about a train crash. He may not remember why he’s being triggered, but it doesn’t have to do with PTSD and has to do with his anxiety disorder instead.
You’re not weird
You might feel like there’s something strange about you because you are becoming hyper-aware of your body. Maybe it seems to come out of nowhere, which might be because you don’t recognize what is triggering you. It’s important to remember that you are not weird. There’s nothing wrong with you because you are experiencing a trigger. It’s just that you don’t know what your triggers are yet. Learning what they can help you recognize them in the future and prevent the uncomfortable hyperawareness that stems from coming into contact with these triggers.
Learning why you’re hypervigilant happens in therapy
To deal with the symptoms of hypervigilance, you need to figure out why you are experiencing it. Is it a result of trauma? Is it due to PTSD or anxiety? The more you know about it, the better you will be able to handle it. One option is working on your triggers with a licensed therapist. That person can help you figure out what they are, and help you learn to cope with them so that when the hypervigilance comes up one day, you’re not alarmed. You can work with a therapist in your local area, or, a more affordable and convenient option is working with an online counselor. Whatever your decision is, you don’t have to deal with these symptoms on your own. Hypervigilance can be extremely uncomfortable for your body and your mind, so get help in a way that makes the most sense to you.
This is a featured post by site sponsor Better Help.
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