It is possible that we have seen at some point someone nervous, with a high level of energy, who looks everywhere as if searching or waiting for something to happen, trying to observe everything without missing the slightest detail.
Although in some cases it may seem that this could be adaptive, the truth is that it is easy to observe that you are continually in tension, which can be tremendously harmful if it continues over time. The subject in question is showing hypervigilance, which we will talk about throughout this article
Hypervigilance is understood as a state of tension and high energy consistent over time in which the subject who suffers from it presents an apparent enlargement of the level of consciousness, being hypersensitive and reacting quickly and energetically to sensory stimulation.
The subject who suffers from it usually manifests hyperprosexias, in which the level of attention is much higher than would be usual and frequently focuses on any stimulus and detail of the surrounding context. It usually occurs along with the feeling of having great mental clarity. Although this may seem positive in such a way that it would make it easier to detect and analyze the environment, the truth is that it generally represents a detriment to its correct analysis by constantly shifting the focus of attention from one element to the other, thus So although it may seem contradictory, excess attentional capacity would cause high distractibility.
The hyperreactivity that is also manifested by those who present hypervigilance causes their reactions to tend to be poorly adaptive and poorly thought out They have a high level of anxiety, so that it is usually experienced in an unpleasant way by those who suffer from it. This, together with the high level of energy, can lead the person to become irritable or even hostile.
But given that our energy reserves are limited, prolonged hypervigilance can cause fatigue to appear and, in the long run, passivity, a sullen attitude and even depression to appear.
Causes and contexts of appearance
Although it can appear at specific times without necessarily being pathological, hypervigilance can be a symptom (not a disorder per se) indicative of some mental or even physical alteration.
In the context of psychopathology, its appearance is frequent during the course of a chronic delusional disorder or during schizophrenia (especially the paranoid type), in which the subject is waiting for specific phenomena that correspond to his or her interpretation of the world. . It also usually appears in anxiety disorders and obsessive disorders, as well as during manic episodes. It is also common for hypervigilance to appear after experiencing a traumatic experience such as war or rape (in fact, being possible symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or acute stress disorder).
In the case of a traumatic experience, the threatening situation itself can become generalized , the subject being prepared to respond in an extremely reactive way to whatever reminds of said situation. For example, a person who has suffered an attack will tend to overprepare for any element that may indicate that they are going to be attacked again, considering a stranger’s smile or someone touching them as a possible threat.
Another moment in which hypervigilance usually appears is in substance intoxication, generally those of an excitatory or psychoanaleptic nature such as cocaine or psychodysleptic such as some hallucinogens or the sativa variant of cannabis.
Effects and symptoms in daily life
Hypervigilance can cause serious harm to those who suffer from it To begin with, characteristic hyperprosexia will make it difficult to concentrate on a specific stimulation, which hinders the subject’s own performance in his or her work or academic life. At a psychological level, it can generate cognitive biases and distortions, as well as behavioral changes or avoidance of stimuli and situations.
At a social level it can also cause problems: the environment may feel belittled and a large number of situations may be misinterpreted, which can lead to the subject losing social support or even being isolated.
Besides, The high level of energy maintained over time produces exhaustion and it is possible that weakness and a decrease in the immune system may arise or even organic problems such as cardiac, respiratory, endocrine or muscular problems.
Treatment
Hypervigilance is not considered a disorder in itself, but rather a symptom. The treatment to be used will depend largely on what caused it
Despite this, it is common that in almost all cases there is anxiety and a high level of activation, so that techniques such as cognitive restructuring, live or imaginative exposure, systematic desensitization and relaxation techniques are recommended. Externalizing what causes hypervigilance is also a good idea (both in pathological and non-pathological cases), so techniques such as psychodrama, role-playing or expressive therapies can be of some use. Benzodiazepines and other anxiolytics, as well as some antidepressants such as SSRIs, can be useful to alleviate possible discomfort while undergoing therapy. In cases of psychotic symptoms, also neuroleptics.
In cases of organic etiology, it may be useful to apply different medical procedures and/or drugs, such as the use of antagonists such as naloxone in case of drug consumption.
