How To Know if You’re a Highly Sensitive Person—and Why It’s Different From Being an Empath

-
Image
  These two personality types are often mistaken for each other, but the distinctions are important to know. By   Jessica Migala     Updated on December 6, 2022   Medically reviewed by   Anju Goel, MD, MPH  Share  Tweet  Pin  Email × 00:00 00:05 Do the people in your life tell you how genuine and compassionate you are? And that you're extremely emotionally in tune with those around you? Then you might be a "highly sensitive person" (HSP), a personality type sometimes mistaken for an empath because they share a sense of true empathy for others. Here's what it means to be a highly sensitive person, how to know if you are one, and why being an empath is actually a different thing, according to experts. GETTY IMAGES What Is a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)? Those who are highly sensitive "are really kind, caring, compassionate, empathetic, genuine people who want to help others and the world," said sensitivity expert and psychotherapist ...
Post a Comment

What Is Hypervigilance and What Does It Feel Like?

-

 

By 
Lindsay Curtis
 
 
Published on February 6, 2023

 Medically reviewed by 
Jonathan B. Jassey, DO
A woman looking over her shoulder at night

KATARZYNABIALASIEWICZ / GETTY IMAGES

Hypervigilance is a state of heightened awareness and watchfulness. You may be hypervigilant if you are constantly on guard and on the lookout for danger, even when there is little to no risk of something bad happening.

Hypervigilance can be a symptom of psychological conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety.1 Sometimes hypervigilance is a sign of physical health conditions, such as hyperthyroidism or Alzheimer’s disease.23 Recreational drugs and substance use disorders can also lead to hypervigilance. 

Excessive hypervigilance can have a significantly negative impact on your quality of life, leading to memory impairment, difficulty regulating emotions, trouble maintaining relationships, and struggles carrying out day-to-day tasks. 

What Does Hypervigilance Feel Like? 

It’s normal to experience brief periods of hypervigilance. For example, if you watch a scary movie, you may be on high-alert and get scared by sounds that would otherwise not bother you, such as a creaky floor or wind rustling in the trees outside. 

Some people are hypervigilant about specific things, such as tags on a shirt rubbing against their skin or the sound of someone’s alarm clock going off repeatedly in the apartment next door. You may notice these sensations or sounds and become agitated and distracted by them, but eventually you move on. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The 10 Best Biker Shorts for Women, According to Customer Reviews

-
Image
  Whether you want something colorful, high-waisted, or compressive.  By   Rebecca Deczynski     Published on April 9, 2021  Share  Tweet  Pin  Email We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about  our process . If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. GETTY IMAGES When you need an article of clothing that can easily transition from a morning yoga workout to an afternoon errand run to an evening Netflix watch, few things are quite as versatile as biker shorts. Especially when temperatures are too high for your favorite leggings, cycling shorts can be a game changer. The only problem is, as biker shorts have seriously picked up in popularity over the past few years, it can be hard to find your perfect pair among all the available options. Luckily, customer reviews can help. Best Biker Shorts These are the best biker shorts you can buy, according to enthusiastic shoppers: ...
Read more

How To Know if You’re a Highly Sensitive Person—and Why It’s Different From Being an Empath

-
Image
  These two personality types are often mistaken for each other, but the distinctions are important to know. By   Jessica Migala     Updated on December 6, 2022   Medically reviewed by   Anju Goel, MD, MPH  Share  Tweet  Pin  Email × 00:00 00:05 Do the people in your life tell you how genuine and compassionate you are? And that you're extremely emotionally in tune with those around you? Then you might be a "highly sensitive person" (HSP), a personality type sometimes mistaken for an empath because they share a sense of true empathy for others. Here's what it means to be a highly sensitive person, how to know if you are one, and why being an empath is actually a different thing, according to experts. GETTY IMAGES What Is a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)? Those who are highly sensitive "are really kind, caring, compassionate, empathetic, genuine people who want to help others and the world," said sensitivity expert and psychotherapist ...
Read more