Hypervigilance is a state of elevated, sustained alertness in which a person continuously scans the environment — and their own bodily sensations — for signs of danger. It consumes cognitive and emotional energy, disrupts rest, and keeps the nervous system in chronic activation, generating deep fatigue.
Concept origin
The concept emerged from the post-traumatic stress literature (Keane et al., 1985), though it applies to all anxiety disorders. Beck and Clark (2010) integrated it into their cognitive model of threat processing, highlighting attentional bias toward danger signals.
How it manifests
- ▸ Exaggerated startle response to unexpected sounds or movements
- ▸ Difficulty relaxing even in safe environments
- ▸ Chronic fatigue from sustained attentional expenditure
- ▸ Constant sense that something bad is about to happen
Therapeutic approach
Wells's Attention Training Technique and cognitive processing therapy teach voluntary attentional redirection. Autonomic regulation techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing reduce baseline nervous system activation.
Related concepts
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