Erythrophobia: Fear Of Blushing (fear Of Turning Red)
We are all, to a greater or lesser extent, social animals. And as such, we have a natural tendency to worry about what others think or say about us.
It is in this social nature where a good part of our desires as people are carried out, since, for better or worse, socialization greatly affects our self-concept and our self-esteem.
The Erythrophobia is a specific phobia which is found within the group of social phobias. Erythrophobia is the fear of blushing. When the person who has this phobia turns red in public, they react negatively, becoming ashamed of themselves. This means that the anxiety she experiences increases, and greater blushing may occur.
Causes of Erythrophobia
Finding oneself in a social environment where one can eventually be the center of attention It can trigger facial blushing, even if the attention received is not negative. Faced with the attentive gaze of other people, the affected person may fear criticism, contempt or humiliation from the group.
Generally, facial blushing begins in childhood or adolescence, where it is not uncommon for the subject to have been mocked for his or her blushing. This generates shame in the affected person and turns blushing into a reaction experienced as negative, when being ridiculed by others.
Consequences and psychological effects
The fear of blushing generates anxiety. The vicious circle occurs in which the fear of blushing itself can trigger it. Faced with this intense fear that a social situation could trigger blushing, people tend to avoid such social encounters.
Since the fear of blushing emphasizes the anxiety of blushing, foreseeable situations may become more and more numerous, and this fear may remain and consolidate during adulthood.
Social phobia: the genesis of blushing?
Social phobia could be defined as the pathological shyness of finding oneself in situations in which space and interaction are shared with more people. The subject with social phobia feels severe and persistent fear and anxiety in different social situations, such as interacting with other people or simply being observed. This condition significantly hinders the development of the affected person’s daily life.
Although people who suffer from some type of social phobia are aware that their sensations are not rational, they experience a strong distrust to face the situation that causes them fear. In this way, they resort to certain defense mechanisms, such as trying to avoid said situation at all costs, a fact that means that more and more situations are avoided, and they enter a spiral of isolation that compromises the social dimension of the person and their personal development at this level.
It is also very common for the person who suffers from social phobia to constantly worry and experience anticipatory anxiety faced with the possibility that others will judge them and think that they are weak, strange, unintelligent or hysterical individuals.
Blushing: is it bad?
Blushing, in itself, is not a pathology nor, in general, is it a symptom of any disorder. Blushing is a completely normal bodily reaction and it is not necessary to follow any guidelines or treatments to avoid it. The scenario in which turning red can be an element that accentuates an underlying psychological disorder and this affects the normal daily development of the person, can be sufficient reason to take some measures, since we are dealing with a case of Erythrophobia.
Approximately a 70% of people who suffer from social phobia also suffer from Erythrophobia. Research led by the University of Braunschweig, in Germany, compared the frequency with which intense blushing occurs in people from eight countries. From more to less tendency to blush intensely, the study reported: Japanese, Koreans, Spaniards, Germans, Austrians, Canadians, Dutch and, lastly, and as the least likely to turn red, Americans.
Conclusions
The cause of the fear of blushing should not be avoided but confront. It is possible that if you suffer from Erythrophobia, you can overcome this fear thanks to some specialized books and the help and confidence that your friends and relatives give you.
In other cases, intense and persistent fear will require therapeutic support from a clinical psychology professional. Only in very extreme cases will this condition require systematic control at various levels, in which pharmacological treatment may be necessary.
