7 Tips to Stop Hypervigilance from PTSD

I'm Kati Morton, a licensed therapist making Mental Health videos!
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If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call a local emergency telephone number or go immediately to the nearest emergency room.

[Jdjustsaying]

My cat cured my PTSD hypervigelance. Everytime I heard a noise, i would jump and be full of adrenaline.
When I got a kitten, who wrecked the house, my brain just began to respond to any noises with 'oh, it's the cat, climbing curtains or chasing flies'. The hypervigelance just began to subside.
It was genuinely more effective than therapy and medication.
And as I write this, 11 years later, my cat is purring on my lap.
Animals are great therapy.

[etinarcadiaego]

God, hypervigilence is killing me lately. Combine that with social anxiety and executive dysfunction, I'm surprised I ever leave my apartment.

[storytellerhut]

Thank you for talking about this and not saying, “just relax!” So many people don’t get it.

[regierse]

My major trigger is thinking that people are mad at me.

[stackels]

Is there evidence of hypervigilance subsiding for people with CPTSD caused by childhood abuse?
I literally don’t know what it feels like to NOT be excessively hypervigilant because it’s been with me since a very young age.
Even when I’m distracted and having a great time it’s still there buzzing in the background.

[ty]

It took me EMDR, meds, and mindfullness to get over most of my PTSD symptoms.

[rachelblackwell]

Thank you for doing this video Katie. I grew up in an unsafe environment. After my mom eventually left my father (after he sexually abused me and beat her), he stalked us for 20 years. He told her he was gonna get hold of me and I’d be ‘of age’ soon enough, so he didn’t ‘need a wife anymore’. Seriously, sick. I didn’t even understand my anxiety or connect the dots until I was in my late twenties but hyper vigilance has been apart of my life ever since I can remember. What made it worse though, was my mom constantly invalidating my fears and reactions to everything. It’s been really hard. Hugs to those out there who may be going through the same. I can’t recommend mindfulness enough! Squeeze those ice cubes! When I was in therapy, my therapist taught me to hug myself and tell myself I’m safe. Having a list of enjoyable activities I love, really helped too.

[aislingquinntarot]

I have ADHD and Complex PTSD. I spend 95% of my waking hours in my peripheral vision and find sustained eye contact EXTREMELY hard. My brain just can't accept that some people and places are actually SAFE and it's exhausting.

[margaretbentley]

I've found that altering my routine a bit is a simple way to help with the hypervigilence. For example, a trigger for me is crowded areas. So instead of going somewhere during peak shopping times, I go super early or Sunday during the hours people are in church, etc. I have a tendency toward withdrawal, so changing my routine versus becoming a shut in is the healthier option. 💗

[kiyonahthundersong]

This is EXACTLY what my therapist says I need to work on! I am hypervigilant to narcissista and sociopaths. Thank you for this!

[catiebrown]

This is the first time I've had a moment of peace since I first started to show symptoms of PTSD. 😭 It's been 2 years. Thank you so much.

[blazingwolf]

The hypervigilence is so stressful to cope with. I am doing fine, progressing, feeling hopeful then BAM it hits. It's such a beast to navigate through in the moment. Trying to remain calm but analysis trying to understand your triggers and determining what is objective sense of threat to safety. It is the worst symptom to suddenly creep on you.

[Miswhitness]

Even though I’m conquering general anxiety/depression, my body still can’t handle criticism or raised voices from my boyfriend. The panic that I feel when I’m triggered sticks with me for hours! I’ve never been able to find a technique that works for me. I will take your advice, thanks Kati

[TheHuber]

10/10 for nailing the thumbnail emotion...and the topic. Hope you are recovering well.

[MiMiLfE]

First responders deal with this like A LOT... thank you for making this video.

[kirbymoffatt]

I constantly grind my teeth. My hyper vigilance never goes away. Everyone is a potential threat

[A-X-]

I place markers around the house in areas i know make me feel vulnerable or suspicious, like having objects in front of all the wardrobes/cupboards because if anyone had gotten in, they wouldnt be able to move the object back in place after closing the door. It seems a bit much much but it allows me to safety check before leaving a room.

[marljusweety]

These tips for overcoming hypervigilence all seem to be based on the assumption that the original cause of the trauma is gone. Most of them seem impossible or even helpful when the cause is still a part of your life. Allthough the severity of the issue is much less than it originally was, and the reaction caused by PTSD is irrationally intense, some form of reaction is necessary to deal with the issue at hand. I dont want to share too much so this might not be the best explanation, but I need more tips on how to deal with hypervigilence when the situation still requires me to be somewhat vigilant. I need to function and act "normal". There is no time or place for self soothing. And in my case, it would be devastating if I withdrew myself from the situation. And yes, I will ask a professional therapist irl as well.

[Lillie-mae.Edwards]

I love that you are defining terms now, so useful. Antidepressants helped with my PTSD so much. It lets you keep your head above water so I wasn’t drawing in my symptoms. I can’t stand doors being locked because of the sound and association that I can’t get out of the room. Unhealthy coping mechanisms are a daily thing for me atm. Mindfulness is so hard though! I have a sensory box which helps with this soo much! So many self-soothing things in there. I’m on a waiting list for trauma focused CBT now 💕

[WindTreeStudios]

Hyper-vigilance IS VERY TIRING. I enjoy combining my hyper-vigilance with workaholism! Definitely not an ideal situation or recommended scenario but at least I'm sleeping well at night without medication! LOL Thank you for posting this concise and well done video!