nearly_cured
New member
My story is just like many others on this forum, I was in school when blushing started at around 15. Prepare for a very long topic ...
When I got asked a question by the teacher, I'd go really red. To start off, no one really noticed it. But as time went on, people started to clock on that I went red all the time, my blushing got worse and I started to red when my friends called my name from accross the glass. And of course, when I went red, people would ask "why are you going red" and shout out "look he's gone red!". This just made my facial blushing worse and eventually I had no confidence at all. One of the worst things that happened to me was when people realised if they said I would go red, that I actually did. A whole note got passed around one of my classes that said when "mynamehere reads this, he's going to go red" and yep, I did. How embarrasing.
I quit school a few months before I was supposed to take my GCSE's, I decided enough was enough and I'd figure out what I would do later. My parents knew I wasn't happy at school but didn't know why I was not going in, obviously they were asking me why but I was so embarrassed to tell them. Eventually I told them why and even though they didn't understand how bad it was, they supported me and made contact with my school to explain why I was off. They persisted that I went to the doctors, and despite seeing 3-4 different doctors, I got the same advice that I had to try and take control of the blushing. Obviously these doctors have no idea how hard that can be.
A few months of sitting at my computer and watching TV passed, and GCSE exams were coming up. I still hadn't been to school for a few months but I was being pushed to take them. I was convinced I was not going to take them but managed to pluck up the courage to take them after support from my family. Going back in was the most nerve racking thing ever, especially considering I knew so many people would be asking me why I was off. I was allowed to take my exams in a different location to everyone else so I managed to avoid most of the questions as to why I was off.
I took my GCSE's, and once I did them I was so proud of myself that I got through school knowing I had come out with some qualifications. When I left school I was pretty sure that I'd end up with none.
Although my parents understood my condition, they said I had to attempt to go to college or get a job. When they told me that, I was fuming. After all that I'd gone through, they wanted me to do that. I thought to myself, everyone at college is much more mature and wouldn't react to my blushing like people did at school, and that there was no way I could deal with customers at a shop or something.
I was still a nervous wreck at this time, but I decided I would apply for college. Looking around at colleges was extremely hard as they were full of groups of teenagers who I was intimidated by. I picked a college and signed up for it, despite being pretty sure I would leave very soon.
About two weeks into the college course, I quit. I was still going red when I was asked questions or people asked me something. I decided that after school, going to college was too much for me and I just wanted to do nothing forever.
My parents were not happy but they respected my decision and were glad that I just tried college. They then pushed to see if I would get a job at a retail store. I was still blushing a lot at this time, but when I was told I had to get a job because they were no longer going to support me financially (clothes etc), I decided I'll give it ago.
Looking for a job was the hardest thing ever, especially when I went red everytime I asked people at customer services if they had any job vacancies.
A few weeks later after handing a few of my CVs out, I got a call back and got offered an interview. I was excited but nervous at the same time. When the day of the interview came, my heart was pumping. I was pretty sure I was going to pass out.
Reluctantly, I got out of my mums car and walked to the shop I was applying for the job in. I approached customer services nervously and told them I was there for an interview. Luckily the woman was very nice and took me to where I was supposed to go. I was then introduced to the manager and he then said "I'll show you to the staff room and I'll be with you in a few minutes". And he did, as I walked into the staff room there were around 5-6 other people in there, all looking at me as I walked in nervously. I could feel my face warming up and just tried to block it out. Because they didn't know me they didn't say anything, thankfully.
The manager came back and directed me to the interview room, a few questions later I was told I'd be contacted later on regarding whether or not I got the job.
Just as I thought I was not going to get the job, I got a phonecall telling me I did. I thought to my self, "what have I got myself into... I can't deal with people without blushing".
On my first day, I had customers asking me where abouts things were in the shop. I replied to them with the best answer I could, if I didn't know where it was, I would say "Sorry it's my first day here so I'm not exactly sure" and smiled/laughed, of course, I could feel my face going a bit red.
The second day was pretty much like the first day, and so was the third, and the fourth. But eventually, I started to notice that I was dealing with customers without going red. After lasting a few days, my confidence went up and the amount of times I went red went down.
I do still blush, and I'm still not as confident as I want to be. But I don't blush at work at all (apart from in the confined and awkward staff room occasionally) and I have the confidence to approach customers if I hear them querying something with whoever the customer is shopping with.
Okay, probably should have called the thread my life story. Quite a long read, but the point I'm trying to get across is there are things that will work. For me, it was being persistent in trying different things. I honestly do think that getting a job in a retail store is a great solution, the customer doesn't know that you go red, isn't expecting you to go red, and won't mention that you are going red.
I know a lot of you are thinking, well maybe he didn't blush as much as I do. You're wrong, I use to have no confidence at all. I would blush all the time, even blush infront of my family at the dinner table when someone I was asked how was my day or what did I do for the day.
I even plucked up the courage to go to the staffs christmas party. I really wasn't thinking of going, but a lot of people said it would be cool if I came. I was just imagining the awkward conversation and the feeling of being trapped. Of course, when I got there it was fine, but if someone had mentioned party to me a few years ago, I would have said no way.
When I got asked a question by the teacher, I'd go really red. To start off, no one really noticed it. But as time went on, people started to clock on that I went red all the time, my blushing got worse and I started to red when my friends called my name from accross the glass. And of course, when I went red, people would ask "why are you going red" and shout out "look he's gone red!". This just made my facial blushing worse and eventually I had no confidence at all. One of the worst things that happened to me was when people realised if they said I would go red, that I actually did. A whole note got passed around one of my classes that said when "mynamehere reads this, he's going to go red" and yep, I did. How embarrasing.
I quit school a few months before I was supposed to take my GCSE's, I decided enough was enough and I'd figure out what I would do later. My parents knew I wasn't happy at school but didn't know why I was not going in, obviously they were asking me why but I was so embarrassed to tell them. Eventually I told them why and even though they didn't understand how bad it was, they supported me and made contact with my school to explain why I was off. They persisted that I went to the doctors, and despite seeing 3-4 different doctors, I got the same advice that I had to try and take control of the blushing. Obviously these doctors have no idea how hard that can be.
A few months of sitting at my computer and watching TV passed, and GCSE exams were coming up. I still hadn't been to school for a few months but I was being pushed to take them. I was convinced I was not going to take them but managed to pluck up the courage to take them after support from my family. Going back in was the most nerve racking thing ever, especially considering I knew so many people would be asking me why I was off. I was allowed to take my exams in a different location to everyone else so I managed to avoid most of the questions as to why I was off.
I took my GCSE's, and once I did them I was so proud of myself that I got through school knowing I had come out with some qualifications. When I left school I was pretty sure that I'd end up with none.
Although my parents understood my condition, they said I had to attempt to go to college or get a job. When they told me that, I was fuming. After all that I'd gone through, they wanted me to do that. I thought to myself, everyone at college is much more mature and wouldn't react to my blushing like people did at school, and that there was no way I could deal with customers at a shop or something.
I was still a nervous wreck at this time, but I decided I would apply for college. Looking around at colleges was extremely hard as they were full of groups of teenagers who I was intimidated by. I picked a college and signed up for it, despite being pretty sure I would leave very soon.
About two weeks into the college course, I quit. I was still going red when I was asked questions or people asked me something. I decided that after school, going to college was too much for me and I just wanted to do nothing forever.
My parents were not happy but they respected my decision and were glad that I just tried college. They then pushed to see if I would get a job at a retail store. I was still blushing a lot at this time, but when I was told I had to get a job because they were no longer going to support me financially (clothes etc), I decided I'll give it ago.
Looking for a job was the hardest thing ever, especially when I went red everytime I asked people at customer services if they had any job vacancies.
A few weeks later after handing a few of my CVs out, I got a call back and got offered an interview. I was excited but nervous at the same time. When the day of the interview came, my heart was pumping. I was pretty sure I was going to pass out.
Reluctantly, I got out of my mums car and walked to the shop I was applying for the job in. I approached customer services nervously and told them I was there for an interview. Luckily the woman was very nice and took me to where I was supposed to go. I was then introduced to the manager and he then said "I'll show you to the staff room and I'll be with you in a few minutes". And he did, as I walked into the staff room there were around 5-6 other people in there, all looking at me as I walked in nervously. I could feel my face warming up and just tried to block it out. Because they didn't know me they didn't say anything, thankfully.
The manager came back and directed me to the interview room, a few questions later I was told I'd be contacted later on regarding whether or not I got the job.
Just as I thought I was not going to get the job, I got a phonecall telling me I did. I thought to my self, "what have I got myself into... I can't deal with people without blushing".
On my first day, I had customers asking me where abouts things were in the shop. I replied to them with the best answer I could, if I didn't know where it was, I would say "Sorry it's my first day here so I'm not exactly sure" and smiled/laughed, of course, I could feel my face going a bit red.
The second day was pretty much like the first day, and so was the third, and the fourth. But eventually, I started to notice that I was dealing with customers without going red. After lasting a few days, my confidence went up and the amount of times I went red went down.
I do still blush, and I'm still not as confident as I want to be. But I don't blush at work at all (apart from in the confined and awkward staff room occasionally) and I have the confidence to approach customers if I hear them querying something with whoever the customer is shopping with.
Okay, probably should have called the thread my life story. Quite a long read, but the point I'm trying to get across is there are things that will work. For me, it was being persistent in trying different things. I honestly do think that getting a job in a retail store is a great solution, the customer doesn't know that you go red, isn't expecting you to go red, and won't mention that you are going red.
I know a lot of you are thinking, well maybe he didn't blush as much as I do. You're wrong, I use to have no confidence at all. I would blush all the time, even blush infront of my family at the dinner table when someone I was asked how was my day or what did I do for the day.
I even plucked up the courage to go to the staffs christmas party. I really wasn't thinking of going, but a lot of people said it would be cool if I came. I was just imagining the awkward conversation and the feeling of being trapped. Of course, when I got there it was fine, but if someone had mentioned party to me a few years ago, I would have said no way.
