A survival adaptation instinctively employed by the Target of psychological, emotional and/or physical abuse. They are always on guard, “walking on egg-shells,” seeking to anticipate and potentially avoid the Narcissist’s next attack. Hypervigilance is emotionally and physiologically debilitating because it drains the body’s natural defense system by constantly overloading it. Hypervigilance often leads to Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD), and physical or mental illness. Narcissists themselves are hypervigilant to anything that might trigger their Narcissistic Injury.