If you feel on edge even when nothing is happening, you may be experiencing hypervigilance. Hypervigilance is when the nervous system remains on alert and ready to respond to threats even when the situation appears safe.
Hypervigilance can develop when a person lives in an environment where threats are unpredictable. For instance, it may be calm one moment and the next someone is yelling, breaking objects, or making threats. In these situations, the nervous system learns that threats could happen at any moment, even when the situation appears safe. By remaining on alert at all times, the nervous system tries to stay ready to respond to danger quickly.
This page is part of the Why Do Trauma Responses Show Up Even When You Know You’re Safe section of the CommuniDID site, which explains why the nervous system continues protective responses long after the original threat has passed.
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