When blushing becomes agony

People do not just blush in embarrassing situations

08/20/2014

When people blush, it is often linked to the psyche. Some get a red head even with the slightest embarrassment. Others turn red when they make an effort or consume alcohol. So that blushing does not turn into agony, sufferers should learn to be more relaxed about it.

Blushing often closely linked to the psyche
The American author Mark Twain made a very clear statement that blushing is more than just the visible expression of increased blood flow in the head. He wrote: „Man is the only living thing that can blush. Or should.“ Often this physical reaction is closely linked to the psyche, as it makes emotions visible. For example, in cases where people blush because they are ashamed or embarrassed. But some people also get a red head because they make an effort, they are warm or they have drunk alcohol. So that blushing does not turn into agony for those affected, they should learn to be more relaxed about it.

Why people in embarrassing situations get redheaded
It is still largely unclear why a person in embarrassing situations gets a red head. „There are several theories, but none is proved“, explained psychologist Samia Härtling, who is researching blushing at Dresden University of Technology, according to a news agency dpa. One explanation is that the redness of the face in embarrassing situations could be a protective mechanism to protect people from being excluded from their social group after a rule violation, as the red head signals: „I know, I made a mistake, I'm sorry.“

Nervous system responsible for social blushing
Responsible for this so-called social blush is the nervous system, which can not be deliberately controlled. Thus, the sympathetic nerve, which becomes active in stress situations, commands the blood vessels to dilate. Then your heart beats faster, your hands sweat and sufferers would like to crawl in the next hole. As the surgeon Christoph Schick explained according to the dpa report, it is connected with individual thresholds, when and how often a person blushes. He treats patients who suffer from excessive blush (erythrophobia). Schick estimates that about every 200th person has a congenital disorder in the control of the sympathetic nerve. As a result, the reaction chain gets going much faster.

Fear of blushing
For those affected this can be very stressful. „In the case of particularly sensitive people, the expectation of embarrassment or the experience of being exposed once may become independent“, said the chairman of the Professional Association of German Psychiatrists, Christa Roth-Sackenheim. „If a person avoids other people because of the fear of blushing and does not leave the house, the threshold for illness is clearly exceeded.“ Carsten Dieme says that the worst feeling is to be alone with the problem. Dieme operates the website www.erythrophobie.de, which offers a forum for those affected. „Sharing with others helps a lot.“

Relaxation and breathing exercises can be helpful
While the red head may be annoying but not tormenting at times, breathing and relaxation exercises such as yoga or autogenic training can be helpful. Although these do not prevent reddening itself, they release tension and inner restlessness. People who focus less on their red heads are more relaxed. However, if you are constantly red in the face, you should visit a doctor if necessary, because behind it could also be health problems such as hypertension or skin diseases. For example, the chronic disease rosacea, in which the skin is very sensitive, burns, itches and tends to swelling. Since one suspects a connection with psychological stress or stress in this disease, the stress reduction often plays a role in the naturopathic therapy.

Professional help can be useful
Professional help is also useful if the fear of blushing is so great that meeting other people becomes torture. As part of her doctoral thesis, psychologist Härtling has developed a short-term therapy. The affected learn to concentrate on their actual task and not to be distracted from their blush. At the same time, they are encouraged not to avoid encounters with the risk of redness, but to actively seek them out. They learn that the situation is usually better than feared. (Ad)