- Hey everybody, today we're gonna talk about
how to overcome hypervigilance as it relates to PTSD.
But if you're new to my channel, welcome.
Make sure you're subscribed and have
your notifications turned on because I put out videos
on Mondays and Thursdays and you don't wanna miss them.
But let's jump into this very important topic.
First, I wanna define what hypervigilance really means
because I know a lot of people use the term
and not all of us fully understand what it means,
and so hypervigilance is an extreme or excessive
vigilance, meaning the state of being,
or abnormally alert, to potential danger or threat.
This can be caused by PTSD, anxiety, or even paranoia
when it's associated with another mental illness,
and it can cause us to be extremely sensitive
to our surroundings, and even perceive dangers
that aren't even real.
For instance, hearing a car backfire
and thinking it's a gunshot and hitting the ground.
We've all heard of those instances, right?
Especially in relation to war
or someone who's been in an abusive
or really scary situation.
That's what we're talking about when we say hypervigilance.
Because hypervigilance can cause us
to be on high alert for long periods of time,
it can be exhausting to our body and our adrenal system.
And if you don't know, our adrenal system
is responsible for handling stress on the body
and it releases cortisol as a result
and a way to kind of help us manage it.
And so this can cause us to be really jumpy
or even easily agitated.
We can feel constantly on edge
and therefore, it can make sleep each and every night
very difficult.
If we struggle with hypervigilance
and PTSD-like symptoms,
we may also find ourselves using unhealthy coping skills
with more frequency.
We may be drinking more often
or binge eating, or even just zoning out
in front of the TV or a video game.
Anything that we can do to numb us out
so that we don't have to feel on edge anymore.
But the good news is, we can overcome it.
So let's jump into some of those tips.
First, we have to recognize what our triggers are.
And we can do this by practicing mindfulness.
I've talked about this in relation to DBT,
but when it comes to PTSD and hypervigilance,
it's good that we are aware of how our body's feeling
all the time.
Is my neck tense, am I gritting my teeth?
Are my hands in fists, or am I completely relaxed?
Being aware of how your body feels
and being mindful of that allows us
to be more sensitive to triggers,
things that set us off, because we can recognize
that something shifted and we feel different.
And the better we get at this,
the more quickly we'll be able to identify
the triggers and we'll be able to recognize
the early symptoms before we're in a full blown panic
and completely hypervigilant and jumpy.
If it's part of an anxiety disorder
that is causing us to feel this way,
it could be our anticipation of someone judging us.
Or if it's our PTSD, something that can be triggering
is it could be a loud noise
or feeling trapped somewhere, like we can't get out quickly.
Recognize what causes each feeling for you
and where it comes from, and find ways
to self soothe until the hypervigilance feeling goes away.
This could be something like a weighted blanket,
calming music, coloring, calling a good friend,
or whatever works for you.
The next tip is to be a detective.
You know how much I love being a detective and detecting.
But look for any evidence to support or deny your feelings.
For example, if we heard a loud thump
and we think there's a murderer in our house,
maybe we should go out and investigate, I know,
super scary, but stay with me.
We might just find that our phone fell off
the nightstand, or keys fell off the dresser.
We may find that there's a reason for what we heard.
And it proves that there's no burglar
and what we're thinking isn't true.
My next tip is to breathe
and take a minute to respond, not react.
Hypervigilance is a reaction.
We don't even think about it, it happens.
But give yourself a minute to respond.
Telling ourselves, it's okay to feel this way
and not letting it take complete control over our system
is gonna take practice, but it can help
to control the symptoms by just breathing
and taking a beat.
Adding in the self soothing that we just talked about,
you should be able to slowly get better and better
at calming and soothing your system.
Assessing all that you're feeling,
knowing that you have the ability to choose
to not be affected by it.
It's a new muscle that we have to work on building up,
but it can help so, so much.
Even having a plan in place for when we're triggered
can help us get started.
This could be a safety plan or a self care plan.
List some things that work for you.
Write it down, keep it in a place
where you can find it, so it's there when you need it.
My next tip, see a professional, like me.
CBT, EMDR, and exposure therapy
are all great options if we struggle with hypervigilance.
Don't worry, I have videos about all
of those different types of therapy,
and I'll link that in the description.
But seeing a professional and getting a proper diagnosis,
whether it be PTSD or an anxiety disorder
or possibly we struggle with psychosis,
but seeing someone and getting that diagnosis
will ensure that you receive the right kind of care.
EMDR is obviously best if our diagnosis is PTSD.
And exposure therapy, we know, works for a lot
of anxiety disorders.
And CBT can work for psychosis as well as
PTSD and anxiety disorders.
It has a lot of behavioral techniques
that we'll utilize to help us better manage.
But know that seeing a professional
is the first step in understanding what's caused
your hypervigilance and what the best treatment could be.
And also, medication.
I know, not everyone wants to be on medication,
but if your hypervigilance comes from psychosis,
this is gonna need to be part of your treatment plan.
The most common medications that are used for this
are SSRI's or SNRI's, otherwise known as antidepressants,
beta blockers because they help
calm your system down overall,
antipsychotics, and antianxiety medications
like Lexapro or benzodiazepines.
Overall, what I want you to hear
with this video is that there's a lot of options available
and help is there.
The first step, I believe,
is seeing a professional and getting properly diagnosed
because just like when we're treating a virus
in our system, we need to know what the name of it is,
and what's caused it in order to eradicate it.
So we need to know where your hypervigilance is coming from
so that we can make it go away for good.
This video has been brought to you
by the kinions on Patreon.
If you would like to support the creation
of these mental health videos,
click the link in the description and check it out.
And as always, leave in the comments other tips.
Are there things that have worked for you
to better manage your PTSD symptoms
or any kind of signs of hypervigilance?
Let us know and share this video.
You never know who it will help.
And I will see you next time, bye.