Hypervigilance/Hyperawareness in ADHD

Is there a difference? I think there is. Hypervigilance and hyperawareness are both symptoms in the DSM for diagnoses like PTSD and OCD. But, I want to talk about them slightly differently and as they pertain to ADHD. I put these together in a previous post about ADHD and too much attention and thought I'd come back to separate them out a little.

This is my own conceptualization based on observation, so take that for what it's worth. If it feels useful, great! I am always interested in nuance, so here goes..

Hypervigilance tends more toward physical safety and hyperawareness tends more toward emotional safety. So, two ADHD'ers may both be scanning every room they are in but with different feelings or intentions.

The hypervigilant is concerned about physical safety. They are scanning who is coming and going, how to get themselves out if needed, and how moods are changing in a way that might require them to fight or flight. This may or may not be done consciously. It's really more the underlying feeling/bodily state of being that would be reported if an ADHD'er is in touch with their internal state.

The hyperaware is concerned about emotional safety. They are scanning for how moods are changing but in a codependent way; if everyone is ok, I will be ok. They are noticing the table that is getting irritated that their food is taking too long because they are worried there will be a confrontation of some sort.

ADHD'ers field so much criticism in their developmental years that it trains their system to always be looking for threats, physical or emotional. I would say that more often male ADHD'ers have the physical threat form (hypervigilance) and females have the emotional threat form (hyperawareness). In my counseling experience boys tend to receive more physical consequences than girls do. But it is not a hard and fast rule, just a general observation.

When you feel unsafe, can you distinguish if it feels physical or emotional?