Red alert: Fear of blushing only fans the flames
It can be a first date, job interview or public speaking. Your heart starts pounding and palms get sweaty. But what gives you away is going red in the face: Look, you're a nervous wreck!
This is very unpleasant to many people, some of whom even develop a fear of blushing, also known as erythrophobia.
The problem isn't the blushing itself, but the blusher's social anxiety about how others perceive it, says Dr Ingo Spitczok von Brisinski, a member of the Professional Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy in Germany (BKJPP).
The anxiety is heightened by the uncontrollability of blushing and its blazoning of the blusher's insecurity. And the worry can make blushing more likely and intense. But there are ways to rein it in.
In emotionally stressful situations, Spitczok von Brisinski says, it helps to send your body relaxation signals, for example by breathing calmly and deeply or directing your attention away from yourself. Good ways to reduce stress and anxiety in general include progressive muscle relation, meditation and regular exercise.
Blushing is a normal physiological response in certain situations - in some people more frequent and/or pronounced than in others - and usually doesn't last long, the BKJPP says. It can help to simply accept it and realize that many people hardly notice it or even view it positively, regarding the blusher as more trustworthy and likeable.
If erythrophobia is severely impacting your daily life and making you avoid social interactions, however, Spitczok von Brisinski recommends cognitive behavioural therapy. In talks with the therapist, the patient can work out individually tailored strategies to overcome their fear of blushing.
