trust issues. They often neglect their own needs (or even suppress elements of their identity) to avoid conflict. The concepts of relationship OCD and good girl syndrome tend to fit neatly under this umbrella. “Hypervigilance makes it hard for people to relax at all. They always feel awkward or worried that they’re doing or saying something wrong,” Dr. Albers says. How hypervigilance can impact your life One of the things that makes hypervigilance difficult to deal with is the fact that it’s a legitimately helpful instinct. We should all be hypervigilant in certain situations. But when we’re in nonstop fight-or-flight mode, it can wreak havoc on our bodies, our minds and our relationships. The physical, mental and behavioral impact of hypervigilance The impact of one’s body being constantly flooded with adrenaline and cortisol is no small thing. “Over time, you become exhausted,” Dr. Albers says. “You may experience frequent physical illness, you may have difficulty sleeping, you might find yourself eating too much or not enough . You can even experience gastrointestinal problems from your body being in constant fight-or-flight mode.” The result of all that pressure? Your mental state — and even your behavior — may change. You could find you struggle to pay attention when that’s not been an issue in the past. You might be more irritable, more inclined to fight with others or more likely to have emotional outbursts. You could isolate yourself from others or experience mood issues like depression. All too often, people struggling to sleep, regulate their emotions or endure chronic stress turn to substances to cope. While it may seem to help in the moment, self-medicating ultimately makes things worse — especially if there’s an underlying mental health issue involved. Hypervigilance’s impact on relationships When it comes to relationships of all kinds, hypervigilance is a double-edged sword. Dr. Albers concedes that an individual with hypervigilant tendencies may noti