Everyone blushes, but for some people their lives can be dominated by trying to prevent it. The fear of involuntary blushing affects more people’s daily lives than you might imagine. It is a very common feature of social anxiety. He is rarely talked about by those who struggle with him because paying attention to him could lead to him. Biologically, it is the result of the activity of the sympathetic nervous system (activates the body’s response to danger). Blood vessels near the skin dilate, and increased blood flow reddens the face. Usually fear redirects blood flow from the skin and limbs to the skeletal muscles, but the opposite appears to be the case with blushing. It is not clear why this happens.
Everyone blushes and this is usually the result of embarrassment, surprise, modesty, or embarrassment. However, for some people there is no clear reason for this to happen. This painfully unpredictable disorder is called idiopathic craniofacial erythema (ICE). The phobia of blushing is called erythrophobia. Because the redness of the face can be quite visible (depending on the natural coloration of the skin), someone who is socially anxious may associate the blush with the possibility of embarrassing attention and therefore becomes part of your anxiety.
For others, it may be that the biological tendency to blush easily is first and then the anxiety about it. When anxiety is associated with flushing, anxiety activates the sympathetic nervous system and this causes flushing and a self-reinforcing cycle forms. This can be debilitating, as people avoid any circumstance that could lead to blushing. This is often social because it’s one of those things that people seem to feel free to comment on, “Wow, your face is so red! Why is your face red?” Research shows that verbal feedback like this increases blush. Fearing or expecting to blush can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Anxiety often begins in childhood because children are more likely to comment on it.
Here is a working list of treatment suggestions that I have found in various places.
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Task concentration training (TCT) appears to be the most effective treatment based on the research I found. The theory is that anxiety and flushing cause an inward focus, thereby increasing subjective awareness of feelings, thoughts, and symptoms. This increases the response to blushing and anxiety. Outward focused training (a similar treatment is effective with athletes) has been shown to be the most effective approach even after one year. This article has a good summary of the process although it is a bit technical.
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Cognitive behavior therapy. More specifically, that would mean examining and revising (cognitive) beliefs about blushing. Also, it would involve behaving differently. Rather than avoiding it, it could mean voluntarily exposing yourself to a scary situation. Several suggestions that I found fall under this treatment:
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Activate the counterbalanced part of your nervous system (parasympathetic) by relaxing and breathing differently. This has to be done in some detail before it is effective.
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Draw attention to it instead of hiding it. This paradox, difficult as it may seem, works with anxiety. Many people with social anxiety mistakenly think that revealing anxiety is worse than hiding it.
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Accept it instead of resisting it. Accept that at this point you are a person who blushes easily and that you are. You may wish it were different, but it is what it is.
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Review what you imagine other people are thinking. Collect some data. Ask some people what they think. What would a friend tell you about it? Explain it to people. Research suggests that people fearful of blushing increase both the likelihood of it happening and the social cost of blushing. In other words, they think it is much worse than it is and that others think more critically than they do.
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Practice the symptom. Try to blush creating the circumstances. Do it over and over on purpose. You can do this gradually or all at once. This process is called desensitization or systematic exposure.
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Rethink the meaning of blushing. Historical evidence shows that cheek redness is a sign of beauty and youth, as well as modesty and charm. As an expression of shame or shame that can be very positive depending on the context.
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Some sites suggest hypnosis. I couldn’t find any support for the research, but there are a number of personal stories or unique cases that showed improvements on the web.
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Medicine. Some people experience relief with medications that treat anxiety. These are usually drugs like Celexa, Prozac, Zoloft, and other similar drugs. Medications such as Xanax, Klonopin, and other benzodiazepines are sometimes prescribed. Sometimes blood pressure medications, such as beta blockers, can be effective. Some sites suggest that botox can be helpful. Consult your doctor for more information on this treatment.
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There is a surgical operation available for severe cases. It’s called endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy. This is often used to treat heavy sweating, but there appear to be cases that have been effective for flushing.
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A dermatologist should be consulted if this problem exists to rule out any underlying disorders.
There seems to have been an increase in research and treatment options in the last 10 years. This is hopeful for those who struggle with this.