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#1
21st March 2010, 09:40
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For SA sufferers who suffer with blushing
One of my main fears is blushing in public. This tends to happen more at work while i feel im being observed, like when using the phone or in meetings.
Its really intense (like beetroot red) and spreads to my chest and sometimes my upper arms. Anyway i read somewhere a while back (cant remember where) that if you try to make yourself blush instead of trying to escape from it (which apparently can make it worse) it tends to not be as bad. Has anyone ever tried doing this?? |
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#2
21st March 2010, 09:50
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Re: For SA sufferers who suffer with blushing
I get pretty bad blushes too sometimes. My whole face goes bright red and I tend to feel really hot
 It helps me if I say in my head, 'ok so my face has gone really red, I can't do anything about it so just forget about it'. Because i'm not getting upset about the blushing I find that my face goes back to normal much more quickly. Hope this tip helps 
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#4
21st March 2010, 11:49
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Re: For SA sufferers who suffer with blushing
Yes I agree with Louise. It doesn't necessarily mean the blushing fades any quicker, for me once it has reached a certain stage it tends to stay dark red for a long time. I don't think this is necessarily the case for everyone who blushes fortunately. (For me there are the immediate flushes that die down straight away then there are the blotchy ones that have more of an intensity and take a long time to fade). The thing is by worrying I used to end up getting more and more worked up into an anxiety attack where I'd just want to get out of the situation, so accepting it and carrying on it doesn't gain any more strength. I think I might write a comic character based on it.
 When I said that just then I was just picturing the blush as some alter ego or alien.
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#5
21st March 2010, 12:46
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Re: For SA sufferers who suffer with blushing
I've just made a complete fool of myself and tripped over in the gym. The gym was half full and everyone had a good laugh at my expense. The thing is I didn't go red and I was able to see the funny side, I've blushed over things far less humiliating before. Maybe the CBT is working?
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#6
21st March 2010, 22:39
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Re: For SA sufferers who suffer with blushing
I've not tried to actually make myself blush, but I can see where you are coming from with this. Blushing, and anxiety in general, feed off the attention and importance we put on them. I essence, fear feeds on fear and produces yet more fear...
So, fearing blushing, then trying to fight the onset of a blush simply serves to feed the anxiety that is producing it in the first place. I find a good technique is acceptance and mindfulness. By this I mean accepting that you may blush at certain times. Then if/when it does happen you notice it, are aware of it, but accept its presence without trying to fight it. By simply noticing the blush, but having no desire to fight it off, it loses its fuel (your anxiety about it) and it will fade away. By persisting with this approach over time you will probably blush a lot less. I accept that I may blush from time to time, but now I notice it and mentally say ''hi blush'' then I give it no more thought. These days I rarely blush, and if I do it doesn't matter anyway. In the past it used to be one of my biggest problems. |
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#7
22nd March 2010, 12:20
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Re: For SA sufferers who suffer with blushing
Quote:
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#8
22nd March 2010, 12:32
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Re: For SA sufferers who suffer with blushing
ah ha this is the same principal as the trying to stay awake in order to get to sleep thing (that works)
i think this could for some but for me it just comes on too quick and too often and i never know when . 
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