hypervigilance

This term is primarily used in clinical psychology and psychiatry to describe a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or severe anxiety. It describes a state of sensory overload where the brain is constantly scanning the environment for danger, even in safe settings. This differs from standard vigilance, which is a healthy and adaptive state of alertness.

Because it describes a psychological state or a clinical symptom, the word is treated as an uncountable noun. It refers to the quality or condition of being hypervigilant rather than a discrete event that can be counted.