Sick of my facial blushing - is there a cure?

[rawrt]

Hi

I work in a fast food outlet while I'm at uni just part time to pay for my car insurance etc. However, whenever I see friends/family/people I know and even girls which I find attractive I'll go plumb red. It might sound trivial but its such a horrible feeling, even worse when they notice.

Its just so annoying, its stopping me from doing things I want to do for example I have never flirted in my life as instead of doing this I will go bright red, turn into somone im not and become very nervous and shakey and just generally trying to avoid eye contact. Even old friends from school, I really wanna talk to them ask em what they are up to etc but instead I'll turn bright red, start shaking and just pretend I dont recognise them.

I know many people will say just forget your blushing and don't think about it - but I really have tried this and it doesnt really help.

Does hypnotherapy help at all? Anything else I should be looking at doing? Would going to the doctors help?

Thanks

 

[dottie]

there's no cure. in life everyone has their challenge they must live with. this is ours.

 

[doesit]

same here buddy,i would have everyday such experiences when working with customers,except i go through the episodes of flushing which lasts for an hour or two,and is really debilitating when you have pale skin and all your day revolves around fear of going red.only natural way going about this is toughening your own mental attitude at blushing and proper exercise+vitamins like b6 zinc magnesium fish oil,they wont make it go away but somewhat gives easier time and some placebo effect.

 

[kasra]

i feel you in this indeed , can't live with it , CAN'T ... I Promise we will find a way which it works as we wish , do not worry try hard and be patient
today is my birth-day and my friend was trying to make a party and invite me in but i did the same as you do , pretended to have massive study to take care of .
we're the only ones suffering from this and we're the only ones which have to find a treatment for this and it never happens separately , we have to stick , try hard and find the best way , like the best thing for me is i'm not " alone " with this , so let's take the advantages of it and do everything together but not only sharing the worst experiences , we do not need sympathy no more cause life is passing by and we can't even try for our ideals .
cheers

 

[doesit]

To hell recently i pulled the plug,and got prescribed xanax,its highly addictive benzo which is used for anxiety,depression.if used properly it works 100% in difficult situations and takes minutes to kick in with short term effects.So my advise anyone looking for a cure seek medical help,as life is to short to live in hiding.

 

[brown dwarf]

I have been told i look sick when i go red. it does not look natural and I feel just great when every one laughs at me too. Really good for the confidence. once I feel the burn coming on I start failing at life. but I look totally normal most the time. Its just facial blushing is my worst nightmare.

 

[tgates209]

Blushing is definitely linked to our confidence and self esteem at the moment of blush. When I feel like people are looking at me...judging me...then judging me for blushing...I turn into a firehydrant. Also happens if I'm asked a question I am not confident about how to answer. Also if a topic comes up regarding an area in my life I am either embarrassed about or feel my answer may be judged. Then the compounding blushing occurs. When I'm in a relaxed state, maybe distracted or if I am overall in a very confiednt mood, the blushing simply does not occur. My own personal efforts have been in how to capture that moment, that mindset and remain in that state for as long as I can. This is not a physiological thing, but and emotional thing.

 

[redishtomota]

i've been having same problem all my life now i'm 38 it way better sometime it still happen when i meet super cute women it just happen don't know why i'm not shy to talk to them. Sometime i'm by myself it happen. I go run and i'm super red.
I think it may sound crazy , but you could try to do Theater yeah acting
You gone be holy your crazy gone explode on stage.
Well what if there a group of people with all kind of phobia all in the same boat fighting for there cure.
First time will be super hard , second too , but after a while it only gone get better and better
You will get more skillful
After a while you won't even think about it.
Now is to you to dig up a group that make you confortable.
fight for it you will win
Just go for it life is short

 

[plumbum]

This was my cure for facial blushing:

I had terrible problems with very obvious blushing (and hidden heavy sweating during an 'attack') and all the self-consciousness that goes with it for far too many decades; it had a very negative impact on many areas of my life. At school I was 'beetroot' or 'plumbum' - I had zero confidence, no social skills and a very, very good academic brain. But of course I then underachieved throughout most of my life and have been too much of a loner because of my 'condition'.

I did however find a cure that worked for me, about three years ago, and it cost nothing. It may look like a very extreme solution but needs must you might say. Looking back, I never planned this, and this is genuine (I'm not trying to sell something), but the answer was to confront one of my deepest fears ... which was to be naked in front of other people. So my cure came in two parts.

The first part was to pluck up the courage to sunbathe naked on quiet beaches in France, I started doing that about 15 years ago. The second more recent part was to start doing occasional life modelling for art classes. That was very, very challenging to begin with, my legs were like jelly before the first session, but ultimately it was very rewarding. After that first session I was punching the air.

The difference it has made to my self-esteem has been immense. For me that proved to be the escape route from the nightmare world of blushing. It worked for me and continues to work. I modelled on and off for about 18 months, but not for the last two years for various reasons, but I now have three sessions booked in the next month. I know I will feel apprehensive beforehand, and self-conscious during the sessions, but that is all the more reason to do them. And of course I get to see some images of myself that give me a real boost too. They are a bonus.

If you want to try this, you can choose to model away from your hometown, I think it's easier to start where no one knows you (very few people know I do this). After that it's up to you. To find venues do some Internet research (art classes, life modelling, etc.) and send lots of emails, you will eventually get an opportunity. Artists really do like all shapes and sizes. When you get that first opportunity, take it - don't bottle out. You'll be punching the air after your first session, as I did. Then stick with it as it will take more than one session.

I now live with no fear of blushing. I no longer sit in a corner or to one side of a room with one hand covering the side of my face. I no longer live in fear of somebody mentioning blushing. After decades of trauma I can finally relax and live my life with confidence. It's amazing. I find it hard to believe I put up with it for as long as I did. No one ever helped me, ultimately I had to help myself. I can't guarantee it will work for you but I genuinely hope it does, whoever and wherever you are. Good luck.

 

[sullyS25]

I think acceptance is a good treatment for this problem. Once you can accept....you realize that people barely notice and if they do, they dont see it as a bad thing. You also notice that a lot of girls think it is cute!

How do I know? Because my cheeks are always red and I'm a blusher myself!

 

[plumbum]

Well, for all sorts of reasons I had gone two years without modelling - until a couple of days ago. I was a little apprehensive before I started but then it went like clockwork for 2 hours, less breaks. It felt good to be in the life room again, very empowering.

 

[plumbum]

This week I modelled on consecutive days. Each class of artists was appreciative. I saw and photographed some great images of myself. Both organisers want to get me back, one for a full day. I felt good, I felt empowered. If I can feel comfortable being naked in a room full of strangers, 'everyone's worst nightmare', then what embarrassment do I have to fear? I've beaten that fear and it feels good.

 

[Lou-s-Darkness]

I can totally relate! But personally, I think guys that blush are cute. :3 I blush like mad, though when a guy talks to me. Any guy, even if it's a freaking teacher. Like last Friday, a teacher of mine came up to me to see my work, and I just freaked out, started blushing, and stuttered like a psycho person!

I haven't found a cure for that. I'd tell you if I knew. I'm like beige colour, not white, but not tan, and I still blush and it shows a lot more than some very pale people for some reason. It's hard to stop it when it starts, and when it's there I try so hard to will it to go away, but it just doesn't. I bear with it until I feel my face cool a little. Even so, it leaves a trace and it'll last for about 15 mins or so....until it's completely gone. It's just something we all have to go through, the people with SA i mean...

It sucks, but what can we do? sigh...this is life.

 

[Radiolover]

If you're a woman, it might be helpful to try what I recently discovered after suffering from uncontrollable blushing for around 30 years. It is simple really. Foundation to cover the face. A high-pigment foundation really does conceal the blush. (The one I'm using is around 40% pigment.) Knowing that my blush will not be conspicuous and make me look like I'm panicking gives me the confidence to do what before gave me moments of terror and dismay. Now I can teach my classes and talk to people in social situations much more easily than before. Ironically now that it won't be obvious when I blush, I hardly blush at all - it still happens now and then but I don't beat myself up about it because I know it is not making me look abnormal. I still feel uncomfortable talking in front of people to some extent but doing so is much easier than before. And the makeup actually makes my face look better in a way - though I believe it is quite evident to someone looking at me that I'm wearing it. But I don't mind because - well it's considered normal for a woman. I don't know why I didn't think of this method of dealing with blushing earlier (I'd tried beta blockers, cold water, wearing light clothes to make my body feel cold, etc. - but either there were disadvantages to these things or they didn't work that well). I have to thank this website where I saw a thread about it. It's not an understatement to say this use of foundation has been revolutionary for me.

And if you're a man, maybe you could still try it and just tell people that you have a skin condition (which would be kind of true) that requires use of a special "paste" or something like that.

 

[bsammy]

umm guys inderal or propranolol is a beta blocker which pretty much eliminates blushing..no nee for anything fancy, just ask your doctor for a script..many people take it before speeches or concerts to avoid adrenaline dumps, hand tremors, blushing etc etc..works very well..

 

[Bobcat]

Yep inderal helps a lot. Directly and as a placebo. Helped me make my first public speeches. Removes most of the blushing and helps you feel calmer.

 

[MUBRG]

Hi

I work in a fast food outlet while I'm at uni just part time to pay for my car insurance etc. However, whenever I see friends/family/people I know and even girls which I find attractive I'll go plumb red. It might sound trivial but its such a horrible feeling, even worse when they notice.

Its just so annoying, its stopping me from doing things I want to do for example I have never flirted in my life as instead of doing this I will go bright red, turn into somone im not and become very nervous and shakey and just generally trying to avoid eye contact. Even old friends from school, I really wanna talk to them ask em what they are up to etc but instead I'll turn bright red, start shaking and just pretend I dont recognise them.

I know many people will say just forget your blushing and don't think about it - but I really have tried this and it doesnt really help.

Does hypnotherapy help at all? Anything else I should be looking at doing? Would going to the doctors help?

Thanks

There is no 'cure' however there is emerging non-invasive psychological treatments that are helping people. There is a very small amount of research being done on the subject (I am involved at uni under one of the few professors around the world studying this issue). These people are trying to find out what is underneath the problem and thus improve treatment approaches that are safe, effective and inexpensive. However it is not a field of research that attracts the funding dollar, thus it is slow moving. If you can get your hands on the following book it is heavy reading, but very comprehensive understanding (as 2013) of blushing, problems with blushing and explanations of treatment approaches. Crozier, W. R., & de Jong, P. J. (Eds.). (2013). The Psychological Significance of the Blush. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
I hope this helps.

 

[Metal_isthe_Answer]

Im told I blush sometimes, whats odd to me is that I never feel it until its mentioned. After that the idea that someone is looking at me makes my face feel hot and I know Im blushing more

 

[MUBRG]

There are a small number of researchers who study blushing in order to help people who suffer erythrophobia. A really good book to go to in order to discover what is currently known about blushing etc, is Crozier, W. R., & de Jong, P. J. (Eds.). (2013). The Psychological Significance of the Blush. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. It will give a good overview on all the research by those researchers working in the field. In our university we are also working on research, with the current study (if you are interested) accessed via the Facebook page " Erythrophobia / érythrophobie " .

 

[Alienated]

Confession is good for the soul, secrets destroy it... Shame was the first emotion, and it prevents you from doing what is nessary to survive.

I faced my demons, those dark recesses of my mind. I know who and what I am, and can focus on the here and now, not the past. I have purpose, and don't worry about what others think of me...

What good is living with others, if you can't live with yourself ?

Clean out your closets, and deal with the things you don't need in your life so you have nothing to hide.. Then you can be open, and not be ashamed.

Learn to laugh at yourself ... It does miracles. That's a good place to start.