Hypervigilance Symptoms

Hypervigilance, rather than being a condition in itself, is a symptom post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This condition is usually an outcome of some traumatic event in the past which is responsible for causing fear or horror of an intense degree in the affected person.

A person with a hypervigilant behavior develops an excessively intense state of sensory sensitivity, which makes his/her mind on a constant, high alert for unknown threats.

The main symptom of hypervigilance is an increased state of anxiety that causes a person to be constantly on guard, and suspicious of incidents taking place in his/her surroundings. And this behavior triggers secondary symptoms.

➤ The increased level of anxiety, in turn, also triggers exhaustion, and abnormal reaction to loud sounds, unexpected noise, smells, and for obvious reasons to strangers.
➤ The constant attempt of the patient to look out for any threats, often causes him/her to remain aloof of his/her social circle of friends, and family.

➤ If such symptoms prolong or in other words, start taking a chronic form, then they disrupt the sleeping pattern of the patient significantly. As a result of which, the person may find it immensely difficult to sleep or staying asleep.

➤ One classic example of this condition could be a person who does not prefer standing near a fire-place in his/her house or elsewhere, suspecting that the fire may break out any time. In some cases, the person may even put out the fire because of the fear.

According to medical experts, factors that may be linked with the condition include:
➤ Certain traumatic episodes which the patient may have been through during early childhood
➤ Hereditary psychiatric illness
➤ One physical cause may be impaired regulation of the brain in response to any stressful situation

To add to these, certain aspects of the patient's personality could also contribute to the development of PTSD thus, the condition of hypervigilance.

➤ Many people can manage their hypervigilance behavior by taking medicines prescribed by a doctor and undergoing psychotherapy supervised by a professional. Medicines may include anti-anxiety drugs, antidepressants and hypertension drugs. It may take a while for the doctor and the patient to find a apt drug that works well and causes minimum side effects.

➤ More important than medication is psychotherapy. Given the fact that the therapy helps the therapist to work on a personal level with the patient, it is an important treatment method to deal with conditions such as hypervigilance. The process allows the therapist to help the patient realize his/her issue in a broader and transparent way.

➤ Depending upon the symptoms, there are various branches of psychotherapy that can be used to treat the disorder in adults and children. The sessions include discussions between the therapist and the patient. It might include talks on the factors or experiences in the patient's life that make him/her feel unsafe and unsecured about his/her environment.

➤ The patient is also encouraged to develop rational thinking about himself/herself and his/her vicinity. For instance, let's consider the same example of the person avoiding a fire place. In the therapy, the therapist would help the patient realize that the odds of the fire breaking out by itself is close to nil unless it is done so by some kind of action.

So, one of the important aspects of the therapy which helps in managing the symptoms of hypervigilance is to push the patient to identify unhealthy beliefs, and channel his/her cognitive abilities to build constructive and positive thoughts.

The treatment of hypervigilance may not be as easy as it seems in black and white. Doctor's recommendations have to be followed diligently, and equally important is to have the support of friends and family. As mentioned, if the condition is taken care of in its infant stage, then it can be kept from getting worse or probably irreversible.

Disclaimer: The provided information is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.