When the fear of blushing becomes a disease

The ereuthophobia is the fear of blushing in public. While some people don't care about blushing, the others develop an obsession with red cheeks. They are called ereuthophobes.

"The ereuthophobia is the fear of blushing and the tendency to suffer," said Antoine Pelissolo, psychiatrist, co-author of "Do not be ashamed and accept the gaze of others".

However, the reddening is a normal though uncontrollable phenomenon that can happen to anyone when he performs an exercise or is in a quandary. The last point (phenomenon - yet little explored) which would issue approximately 2 to 3% of people aged 15-40, declines with age and experience.

Eereuthophobes fear that their bodies reveal their confusion,  and they may be embarrassed, because they think they  attract too much attention before the eyes of others.

A kind of vicious circle is established then. The more one anticipates an "uncomfortable" situation, the more he is afraid of blushing, and the more he actually blushes. Another problem: too much focus on the cheeks and trying to control himself, he no longer listens to his interlocutor. The risk exists when they try to change their habits to avoid situations of everyday life that can be embarrassing, thus gradually becoming self-denying and refraining.

To prevent such people from becoming truly badly shy, the psychiatrist advised to force them to confront situations perceived as inconvenient and, if possible, to talk about things that make the situation uncomfortable.

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