What purpose does hypervigilance serve

Is it giving a sense albeit false of control? Thank you.

Makes the amygdala feel as useful again as it once was. Because once upon a time it got things very right and you survived and it's been riding that reputation hard ever since despite safer conditions arising.

Thanks for the consideration, little guy, but my prefrontal cortex has got this shopping trip situation under control. If you'd kindly let it. Please?

KA60 said:

Is it giving a sense albeit false of control?

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It doesn’t serve a helpful purpose. Vigilance is helpful - hypervigilance is dysfunctional.

Like nightmares and flashbacks, it’s a byproduct that some people get from traumatic experiences.

sideways sums it up well

Sideways said:

It doesn’t serve a helpful purpose. Vigilance is helpful - hypervigilance is dysfunctional.

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it is natural to become more vigilant after something bad happens, so then you can avoid it in the future or navigate a dangerous/risky situation safely.

hypervigilance is the same thing but ramped up to 200, so it isn't useful anymore. we're not built to go through such adverse things, that's why trauma is a thing and our natural defences get overcharged in response to especially bad things happening.

being more aware of potential danger is helpful, probably keeps us out of sticky situations fairly often, so naturally if something overwhelmingly dangerous/bad/painful/terrifying happens, just do more of that right? "this must never happen again / could happen at any moment, anywhere, I must be on the look out at all times". not helpful. understandable on the brain's part but not helpful.

not feeling safe in a strange situation = protective
not feeling safe anywhere all the time = overprotective, dysfunctional, debilitating.


we are not perpetually helpless creatures, but a lot of traumatic responses are us reliving and bringing the helplesness we experienced into the present and blanket applying it. because the nervous system is traumatised and still thinks its necessary/useful, to not essentially die.

don't accuse me of experting, but as i understand it:

in its natural state, hyper vigilance is a hardwired part of the survival instinct which heightens awareness and sensory perception. in a state of clear and present danger, it can be a literal life saver.

if the natural vigilance is sustained for too long a period, it develops into a psychosis such as you see in animal rescues where the animal will attack its rescuers as readily as it attacked the clear and present danger. it easily escalates to thoroughly counter-productive extremes. paranoia strikes deep.

Thank you all. I know it is dysfunctional. Someone close to me is this way 24/7. Husband. Veteran. No ptsd treatment. He seems to want to engage in this with current events. I have been working hard on goal directed behavior and actions instead..