Blushing

[Chilling__Echo]

Who all has problems with blushing?? i thought it was all SAers but after a while i relailzed it wasn't everyone... plus it's been a while since i'd seen a post about it on here. but that's my MAIN PROBLEM. all my fears go back to it...


matter of fact i can remember the first time i ever remember blushing, i was in elemetary school and i got a bf and he walked in the room one day and everyone started looking at me and teasing me and then everyone was telling my face was turning red... weird b/c i didn't start having problems with SA until about three years later.

 

[ScaredGirl]

Hi Chilling Echo,

The blushing thing is frustrating. I wear light top so my body's core temp can be more easily regulated in the event of an unexpected blush. I will also drink water or go outside in the air.

SG

 

[Tim001]

This is right up my alley. I blush at anything. It happens on a daily basis. It doesn't have to be in front of a group, it happens even when I'm talking to someone 1 on 1.

My problem is that in certain situations it can avalanche out of control. For example, I'm at one of our dept meetings and someone centers me out for some reason. My face will turn bright red (very noticeable because I'm kind of pale anyway). I know people notice this so I start panicking even more, thereby making my face turn even redder, and so on... I'm sure they think I'm some kind of weirdo. Lately though, I've been stopping this thought process dead in its tracks by thinking of something, anything, else. Happy, sad, gross you name it. Anything to stop thinking about how red my face is getting. This works ok sometimes and sometimes not, it depends on the day.

 

[maggie]

the worst thing for me is when i am blushing, like at work, and somebody is like "oh my God, she's blushing" or "look, she's turning red!" I hate that!! And some guys think cause i am blushing that it is some sign that i am interested or flattered with them or something :x and then they give me this dorky little grin like they are proud they made me blush or something...give me a break :evil:

 

[Chilling__Echo]

ugh i know. i was told by some guy at work one time "aww your blushing, that's so cute, you're turning so red" and then picks on me later "i made you blush" blah blah blah and i was about to break down and cry so bad. but i didnt' want to tell him that it was such a big deal to me. i'm one of those that doens't liek people to konw. i'm TERRIFIED of people knowing... :roll:

 

[fallenfeather]

blushing

Guys, I am exactly the same!! I can't believe how similar your symptoms are to mine!! I always thought I was just weird. When I'm at work and there's a meeting I blush even if no one asks me anything and I'm not singled out. I blush because I'm thinking "oh my goodness, I hope noone asks me anything, cos that will make me blush" Then just thinking about blushing makes me panick about it and often I blush because of that. Then I get the "oh no, they can all see me blushing, they must think I'm a weirdo" and I get even redder. Sometime I have to excuse myself to the toilet and pretend to cough as if I've choked or something.

Over the years I deveoped a little technique ot helping to prevent it.

1. Do what I can to be cool (temperature wise) when going into the meeting. Take my jumper off or roll up the sleeves of my shirt or wear a t-shirt. Drink lots of cold water and try to sit near an open window if there is one. This works especially well in winter when wearing a t-shirt makes me very cold, and its' more difficult to blush. In summer I'm screwed though

2. I try to have an escape route planned in my head before the meeting starts. An example would be: If I sit near a door and no-one is blocking my quick access to the door I know that if things get difficult I can excuse myself to the toilet pretty quickly. Or, if that's not an option I may plan that if things get tough, I could lift out my mobile phone as if it's been ringing on vibrate and say "I'm really ssorry but I've got to take an urgent call" and leave the room.

When I have these little escape plans sorted in my head I almost never have to use them! It's just knowing that I can escape if a blushing attack does start to happen which keeps me calm and therefore usually stops me blushing.

Now I take xanax before a meeting so it's much easier to control my anxiety and blushing but I'm not a regular user.

I hope this helps some of you guys

 

[Faded]

Thats horrible!
Im in tht dreadful situition too!

I Blush Whenever the teacher points at me, or starts askin me Questions,!
I turn Red then the horrible thinking takes place :- * EVERYONE IS LOOKING AT ME NOW!* and .. * O MY THEY'LL SEE ME TURN RED * ..

I Blush when any of my classmates look back at me *WHAT ARE THEY STARING AT!!* i dont look shy but i look RED! or when i pass thru a crowded hall .. or when someone says hi ..i feel heavy like falling 2 the ground .. i cant stand it!!

 

[KickBackNcotch]

hello people,
i unfortunetly am another sufferer! (blushing/ereuthrophobia)
ive never chatted to anyone with the same problem as me, i'd love it if i could chat online 121 with someone & exchange views/tips & solutions, share experiances & generally get some weight off my chest! if u like the idea please dont hesitate 2 contact me, thanx.

p.s.
i noticed someones post of his/her experiances & there methods of tryin 2 deal with it! everyone will have there own way & all opinions r kindly received.
but i personally feel the complete opisite 2 this persons post, i think creating & working out your escape routes ect... is the worst thing u can do, the whole reason u blush in these circumstances is because u have allready told your body (subconsiously) that u r going 2 blush if u feel uncomfortable.. eg. someone talks 2 u in a social enviroment. therefore planning how 2 get out of the situation by answerin your phone ect... will just set off your bodys unfortunate reaction b4 this situation has even arised! most of the time, by using these run away techniques u will probably end up lookin even more stupid than if u just stayed & blushed! people who r fortunate enough not to suffer with our condition r confident because they dont worry atall about the situations we mostly dread, everybody blushes sometimes but these "normal" people blush when a genuinely embarrasing situation arises eg... falling over in public.

unfortunetly we have found ourselfs in a predicament in which we r stuck in this way of thinkin & nomatter how hard we try cant seem 2 shake it!

my personal advice will sound alot easier than it really is because even tho i believe i have a strong knollege & understanding of this phobia (ereuthrophobia), i still suffer with it on a dayly basis. so cant b that effective lol i do believe im getting better tho, if not, ups & downs mostly! mostly ups which is an extreme improvement on before, before was mostly downs!

i often find that when i forget about the blushing.. eg. when im drunk or when im feeling very happy, i never blush or feel uncomfortable,
this is 4 obvious reasons like i just explained.
apart from this problem i am, believe it or not!) a very happy person, & maybe even stranger, consider myself 2 b a very confident person, if it wasnt 4 this blushing problem i believe i'd b very successful & possibly 1 of the happiest people i kno!
without sounding boastful... i believe i have great intelligence, good looks & a great sense of humour, which is mostly the reason y im so frustrated with this problem because i should b a very confident person... "shouldnt i?" :?

my advice is hit your problem head on... i kno its not as easy as this but i think sometimes u hav 2 just bite the bullet & face your fears! 8)
i often found at work (which is 1 of the worst places 4 me) i'd avoid ppl & walk long ways round 2 avoid certain situations, then if i did meet some1 i felt uncomfortable around i'd go bright red b4 they even spoke!
so... i tryed a different aproach & instead of steering away from the problem i'd just take a deepbreath, put on a smile, maybe a cheeky whistle lol, head up high, believe in myself & confront my fears, most of the time i can then continue 2 speak 2 people & even after a little while into the conversation (around 20 seconds) i even get a feeling of honour... like im proud i conquored the situation & feel free 2 continue 2 put 4ward my views in the conversation, where before i would normally keep my mouth closed 2 avoid the blushing! :lol:
then after the conversation i can walk off feelin good about myself!
i believe that if this continues, hopefully could b close 2 solving the problem because with every confrontation u will build your self confidence & realise that life isnt as scary as u once thought!

i hope listeners will maybe try this method 4 themselves, after all, if it doesnt work, atleast u tryed!

sorry 4 the long post.

ps. if any1 atall would like 2 chat, i am on msn & aol so drop me a email & we can arrange it.

good luck

 

[redlady]

I blush a lot as well, but i wear makeup so noone can actually see it when it's happening. Although i still have to deal with the effects of it - heated up face and body, it still makes it a little easier knowing they can't see it.
I saw on this medical show the story of this woman who suffered from it and she got an operation to stop it. I don't know the precise mechanics of it only that the doctors clipped/cut something-?-under her armpits that stopped her from blushing.

 

[KickBackNcotch]

hello redlady, ive heard a little about this surgical method, sounds great, i even considered getting it done myself!
it involves cutting the arterys in or around your neck & cuts the blood supply to your face! sounds brutal but i can c why people would consider it.
however i hear there r side effects, such as visible sweating when embaressed, even in your hands palms ect...
not just when your embaressed 2, can sweat alot more than usual, after all u will b tampering with your bodys natural sources which i think can allways b dangerous.
the thing about this procedure is it is not getting 2 the route of the problem which is phsycologicly, as far as i no there is no known cure 4 ereuthrohobia!
i have heard of people getting this operation & ending up wishing they hadnt, risky!

i have heard that hypnotherapy can b very effective,
i saw a program once that had a young girl on it from england who suffered with this condition, it was plain 2 c it was no act & the girl was genuinely effected with this problem, u could visibly c her blushing alot on the show,
on this particular show she was taken off & underwent hypnotherapy with a famous english hypnotherapist called paul mckenner,
she came back on the show & the results were quite clear, she was interviewed by 2 big name presenters in a very intimedating enviroment with patentially millions of viewers watching,
the results were she was no longer blushing, which is obviously great, however, i noticed a big change in her personality, she seemed very distant & spaced out, before she was hypnotised she looked like a happy, smiley person with an interesting personality even tho she looked nervous & was blushing but, when she returned after being hypnotised she seemed allmost in a trance, like she was not concentrating & would go as far 2 say she apeared slightly boring & even strange!
a few weeks later i saw her on a prime time tv show where she won a competition & stood up infront of hundreds of people amongst a live studio audience,
this tells me this must of cured her, 4 how long i dont no, but wat i do no is, as a person with this problem its seen as 1 of my worst nightmares 2 b stood up infront of hundreds of people on national tv.
somethings worth looking at there!

anybody know of any other similar cases like this?

 

[MissB]

blushing

i have recently been giving relaxation treatments a try and they have helped somewhat but now and again i feel flustered for no reason at all, i believe avoiding wheat products help and also nettle tea.

 

[anneley]

I can relate to you all. I blush numerous times a day, and I can even blush when I'm on the phone. :roll: Strangely, large crowds bother me slightly less than 1 on 1 contacts, and hugging, kissing when greeting somebody will make me blush for sure....
Oh, and really... what I hate the most is how some men misinterpret my blushing... no, it's NOT them, it's me! :evil:

 

[wistful_dementia]

I blush too. It's also very embarrassing for me also. My situations is slightly different. I'm a male and when I blush the females look at me with contempt. Sometimes, I may blush just because of an embarrassing situation or maybe I felt that I have just said something stupid; other times I may actually be attracted to the person. When a lady who I am attracted towards looks at me with contempt... like 'oh my god, there goes another guy about to flirt, etc." I feel even more embarrassed and ashamed. I can't help who I am attracted to and when I blush and that makes approaching an attractive woman that much more embarrassing and anxiety provoking. It's not like I am going to try to pick them up.. I've only managed to ask one girl out in my life.

With men it's not too much better. If I am embarrassed or speaking about an emotional topic (not always easy when taking psychology courses, trying to make a new friend, or carry on an intelligent conversation) they tend to think that I am angry.... 99.9% of the time I'm far from being angry. Ah well, antidepressants worked well with blushing for me, but I just do not like the side effects. Ah, well... I will survive and adapt eventually..

 

[dtoxxx]

I have had a blushing/anxiety problem for at least the last 10 years, i am now 21. I remember kids at school noticing and pointing, whispering to the person next to them and glancing at me. I remember walking around the school with my head to the floor just so noone would notice me.

As I got older it became more of a problem, and I worked myself into depression and mild psychosis.

I spent around a year without barely leaving the house, going through several medications. I eventually gave myself a kick up the ass and did a bit of work for a design agency I worked for in the past. This didnt start of so well, and the anxiety was still clear and present, I often found myself crying in the toilets through frustration and humiliation.

Cutting a long sory short, I became determined to conquer my anxiety and recently have been making very positive progress. If you havent heard of it already COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THEROPY is very benefitial. I was on a waiting list for a year and a bit, and was also very sceptical. CBT is all about the way you think, and the way you think is pinnacle to this problem. If you think "shit, i bet i'll blush" you are bound to, if you plan an escape route to a situation, all youre doing is heightening the anxiety.

I have been employed full time at this company as a graphic designer and have recently begun meeting with clients, which would have been un-thinkable a year ago!

All i want to do now is help people get through the same sort of thing, especially younger people. I am still just beginning to sort the problem out myself, but I am pretty determined.

Ive never written so much about myself, sorry to be boring, but this post mite give someone some ideas, or hope.

take care
pm me if you want to talk

 

[WalkOnCobblestoneCurfews]

Hey
I thought it was interesting that you found relief throught CBT. I have done alot of reading on alternatives to drug use and alot has been shot down. But I also know that those who take the prescriptions R not happy. There will always be negative side effect to an anatural drug (I know this because I am cleaning up). I am happy that you have had positive strides towards relief without drug use. Keep at man and be there for others b/c it does become testing on your will power.

 

[WalkOnCobblestoneCurfews]

Hey
I thought it was interesting that you found relief throught CBT. I have done alot of reading on alternatives to drug use and alot has been shot down. But I also know that those who take the prescriptions R not happy. There will always be negative side effect to an anatural drug (I know this because I am cleaning up). I am happy that you have had positive strides towards relief without drug use. Keep at man and be there for others b/c it does become testing on your will power.

 

[dtoxxx]

i dont think drugs were ever a cure, but just to help you help yourself. Self motivation, difficult as it is in this situation, is pinnacle to getting over anxiety, and theropy definantly helps.

Because it had been going on so long, I just thought my anxiety and social phobia was part of who I am, but it really isnt.

Luv me x

 

[powermetalniki]

this may seem bizzare, but at times I blush like crazy just imagining an embarassing situation while alone.

to say the least i am glad to see others that also experience blushing as the biggest inconvienience of their SA who are offering advice and tips that they themselves have benefitted from.

i just wish we didn't have to wear those silly aprons at work. otherwise the thin layer of my teeshirt would keep my body temperature lower and would probably be just enough to prevent a lot of my random blushing incodents!

 

[exinous]

BLUSHING

This was my main problem too i use to blush anywhere especially in situations where there were lots of people around me at high school i use to blush in the middle of class too and people would make fun of me i did CBT 6 months ago and he did this exercise where he videoed me. I thought it would be really horrible but turns out it really helps you realise when you blush its not that bad and that other people do it to that its a normal thing your body does when you hot or in flight or fight. Its funny when you learn why your body does it its not that bad like normal.

 

[Waybuloo]

Blushing is abig prob for me too!
esp when i'm thinking about it and thinking 'no don't blush, don't blush" and like clock work there it is.

bah! pplz always look uncomfortable around me, and then look away.