Hypervigilance: Does Everyone With PTSD Have It?

[cragger65]

Just wondering with hypervigelance, is it necessarily a fact for EVERYONE with PTSD? I know many suffer from it, and I did more so at one time, but it does not seem to be a major componant of my PTSD now.

How much a part of PTSD proper is this particular symptom?

 

[Mommy to 2]

Hypervigilance

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hypervigilance is an enhanced state of sensory sensitivity accompanied by an exaggerated intensity of behaviors whose purpose is to detect threats. Hypervigilance is also accompanied by a state of increased anxiety which can cause exhaustion. Other symptoms include: abnormally increased arousal, a high responsiveness to stimuli and a constant scanning of the environment for threats.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypervigilance#cite_note-0 Hypervigilance is a symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder.

Symptoms

People suffering from hypervigilance may become preoccupied with studying their environment for possible threats, causing them to lose connections with their family and friends. They will often have a difficult time getting to sleep or staying asleep

Good question. Honestly, I had to look it up before answering you. I felt I had hypervigilance, before I looked up the definition, in relation to my children. In my case, I think it has subsided to a degree because of various things.

But, maybe not. I am exhausted and I do look for threats wherever I am with the children. Most of the time this summer, we've been at home. I have a house alarm that I use. I take great comfort in the alarm, especially at night or when I'm sleeping. It's monitored through an agency who will call the police immediately if it is set off, etc.

~Mommy to 2

 

[cragger65]

M2, I too believe my vigelance has calmed down largely due to circumstantial affairs. I don't leave the house much, therefor I feel "safe" when at home. However anxiety begins to escalate the longer I am away from my safe haven. Thanks, I didn't really put 2 and 2 together on that one.

 

[TLight]

I suffer from it constantly. I feel it in my brain........it's different from just normal 'nerves'.........it's constant, annoying, debilitating, exhausting..............it never seems to leave, no matter how much liquer, how many meds, how 'safe' my 'home' is...........never had good associations with that word, 'home.'

 

[StuckinShell]

I have it certainly and to a fairy extreme degree. I have had for most my life but didn't understand until not too recently that others don't. I feel like the filters are blown open and everything comes in. This may sound strange but I often can feel airplanes above me. I have a sense, look up and there it is without necessarily hearing it. I can turn and lock on to "" cars at extreme distance that say I might find threatening. All through school I moved class to class like it was on the field of battle, I sorta was, as in stairwells I might find myself picked up and tossed in some 'pro wrestling' move by bullies. They nicknamed me 'little man' for a reason. I hear multiple conversations at once and attend to details that may be relevant. Right now I am running a fan in this room and still hear little noises that the neighbors make. We have heavy metal doors and the others let them slam and the feeling is like electricity inside me buzzing. By the way over 15 years of therapy I've never been diagnosed with PTSD so...lets say WTF is with that. I guess I'm not 'cleared' to answer this question. LOL

 

[Ruth09]

I suffer constantly from it.

 

[NarcSis]

I'm a paramedic - not a good one if I'm not hypervigilant normally, so throw in PTSD and the hypervigilance became almost insane. I still worry about just about everything - like if I see some kid lose their balance, or see someone start to walk before the crossing signal, my heart races - but its not nearly as bad as it was when I was in the acute stages, so I'm confident that it will return back to normal eventually.

 

[BrownEyes]

I too am constantly hyperviligant. I am conatantly aware of my surroundings and I hear every noise.

At night I'm alert to any sound inside or outside my house. I can have all the windows shut and the TV on and still hear crickets chirping outside. My husband jokes with me about my "super sonic hearing".

When I try to sleep my hypervigilance keeps me awake, and any noise while I'm sleeping jolts me awake instantly (even just a car driving down the street).

Hypervigilance can be completely exhausting. It would be nice to be able to shut it off sometimes and still feel safe.

 

[sisyphe]

For a long time I've had trouble being around people, especially if they're strangers and it's in a place I've never been before. I get so on guard that I have to check everything, including examining the ceiling, and people always seem to wonder what the hell I'm looking at up there, but I think I'm also avoiding looking at people because that stresses me out even more. Also, a lot of times when I'm right at the moment where I'm going to fall asleep, I suddenly jolt awake -- so annoying. Nowadays, I don't experience hypervigilance very often, but that's only because I spend most of my time alone or in the company of a few people that I know well enough, and I take kava once every week or so, which is usually enough to keep me from ever getting too wound up.

 

[Dylan]

It's hard for me to picture what PTSD/CPTSD would look like without hypervigilance. Can you imagine? "Yep, I have flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive thoughts, I'm suicidal and despairing but, hey, other than that, I'm pretty relaxed"?

The NIH (National Institute of Health) has hyperarousal as part of the symptom cluster:

Hyperarousal symptoms:

• Being easily startled
• Feeling tense or “on edge”
• Having difficulty sleeping, and/or having angry outbursts.

Hyperarousal symptoms are usually constant, instead of being triggered by things that remind one of the traumatic event. They can make the person feel stressed and angry. These symptoms may make it hard to do daily tasks, such as sleeping, eating, or concentrating.

As others have shared, I also find that hypervigilance is one of the most difficult of the pervasive symptoms to deal with on such a continual basis. It's so draining and can also make it very difficult for me to keep up my energy to do things that help me (exercise, work on being social, etc.).

When my symptoms are low and I'm doing well, however, the hypervigilance decreases as well. I don't know that I'll ever be a person that doesn't have to closely manage her environment/stimulus/etc. I'm STILL coming to terms with that. I like to think I've really accepted that, but my behavior (allowing my stress to get to the point where I "spin out") proves otherwise. *sigh* Ah well, Dylan...like Dory says, "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming". :rolleyes:

-Dylan

 

[SunnyBrookFarm]

I am constantly looking over my shoulder and on "alert" at all times. I'm easily startled and often have a general sense of uneasiness. When I go anywhere new, I will automatically find the exits. I have difficulty concentrating and sleeping because I just can not get my brain to shut off.

 

[BethRSA]

I'll add my, "Yes I'm also hypervigilant" to the thread.

I always have my cell phone with me. Before I go out of the apartment and at night, I make sure that the bathroom door is locked because of the shared attic space with the apartment next door. I always lock the car door with the windows rolled down about 1/2-2 cm--so that if they try to shatter them with a spark plug to hijack me, it won't work. Etc., etc., etc.--

Hey, at least here in S Africa, all my "hypervigilant" actions are just normal life. So, maybe I'm not hyperviligant?
(Who's looking over my shoulder?) :rofl: Sorry--had to add some humor