erythrophobia

Hey, I just did a search and look what google found me! So I joined. I need a little bit of advice, or even just the reassurance that there are people like me out there. I;m feeling completely isolated at the moment and dread going into uni/work for the fear that I am going to panic. Whenever I enter any social situation whether it be with friends or at university or at work my heart rate begins to pound and I shake. more specifically if the group of people are arranged in a circle. I suffer from Erythrophobia (fear of going red) and am really finding that it's taking over my life. I have been on medication (paroxetine- 20mg) for the last nine months and have been on a waiting list to see a psychologist for quite some time. I don't know what else to do. It's so bad that if anyone just says my name I go red and get all panicked. I have tried self-hypnosis but I've not had much luck.

any advice?

xxx

Hi Jenna

Sorry you're going through such a hard time. I actually do go very red and blotchy when I'm nervous. It gets so bad that it looks like port wine stains all over my neck and chest and parts of my face. Do you blush ? or are you conscious that you might be blushing in these situations?

best wishes
willow.x

Do you do relaxation or breathing exercises? Some anxiety sufferers breathe in too deeply but don't exhale enough, the out breath should be longer or at least even to the in breath. An even pattern is probably best, but from the diaphragm. So the stomach moves out on the in breath(through the nose). Sorry you probably know all that already but just in case, it might help when you're feeling anxious.

hi jenna ....oh my gosh! i suffer from the same thing ..... everytime anybody ask me about anything i turn bright red....so i know what you're going through...im bout to order this thing called Eredicane ..it's a supplement thing to help the "blushing" . My gosh i suffer this for years ..It's embarrassing....It's hard to maintain a normal life when you have this problem.....i mean it gotten so bad that a family member can make me turn red....people willl think i'm snobby or aloof but i'm not like that at all and it can really hurt sometimes......well im still praying for a miracle...and im hoping you will too.....

I get this too and although im doing my best to work through it ive got to admit that i have considered the operation! how do you all feel about this?

Michelle.

Hi there jenna! I know exactly what your going through....bloody horrible isnt it?? I go red for no reason sometimes and it drives me crazy! I work in a big office and afew weeks ago they where going to have a meeting in our BIG boardroom where they is a table in a circle. I actually pretended to be sick that day so i didnt have to go to the meeting as i know i would go bright red and panic and also scared incase my manager would ask me something during the meeting....i feel like i would just faint on the spot. So dont worry i know how you feel and it really does take over your life! I know theres another big meeting coming up in the next week or so and i dont know what im going to do! Anyway Jenna, dont feel alone. xx

I hope you don't mind me emailing you like this. I am a third year student at the university of Leeds studying broadcast Journalism. As part of my final year dissertation I have to put together the research for a documentary (It is NOT filmed- just all the paperwork) and I have chosen my topic to be erythrophobia. Would you mind having a chat with me about it? either on email or phone? my email address is ics5mhl@leeds.ac.uk if you drop me a message I can give you a ring or mail you some questions. It's totally informall and the only other person who will see it will be my tutor.

Thanks for your time- I would really appreciate hearing from you!
All the best!
Madeleine Lown

Hey there folks,

Im also the same, I go red alot, my worst places are at work and in supermarkets...like you pixie, I hate when you are in a meeting and you get asked a question, I ALWAYS go red, I even do it in a one to one situation at work..................I asked my doctor about an operation that cuts the nerve from your neck to your face but he didnt even entertain it!!!!!!!

Shaz x

Hi Jenna,

I suffer from this too. the fear of going red is almost as bad as actually going red. I am to scared to apply for any jobs as i know i will make such a fool of myself. my redness is on my chest, neck and face. blotchy and very obvious. I have been a bit better lately as i have been taking propranolol for 6 weeks and they definetly help. but i ahve stopped taking them because i think they make feel weird. Not sure though could just be the anxiety. I get tingling and creepy crawly feelings in my forehead.

Love josephine.x

So the only reason I became a member is to respond to what you wrote. I hate becomming red. It starts off because there is at least one person I´m trying to impress, or just try not to appear weak in any way. Then my face become hot, sometimes I just want to stop it myself but my face just burns brighter. I am a good speaker, but this is my problem sometimes. Also, when I am around other people, (that I am trying to impress) and someone refers to me, looks at me, calls on me. My face gets hot. This has been happening for many years. I think what started it was my first day of public school. Was in 2nd grade, i was homeschooled before. So I find my class walk in, I know no one, but the other kids knew each other from the last two years. :blush: So I walk in hopeing its the right place and all. I look around at my sorroundings. And there before me where two boys pointing and laughing at me. It might have saved me if I introduced myself, hit them, but then I would have anger issues Im sure. No they were pointing at my crotch, my barndoor was open, as we lancaster county folk put it. My zipper was hanging open. So I turned around feeling self contious, the question had been anwsered, I didnt fit in, I could be laughted at right on arrival. so I became quiet and followed others. I lived in fear.

Looking back I could be living a Some what diffrent life with out this stupid fear taging along. Just that feelin of what people think of me, me feeling all alone. Its funny, If I am with another person, loud, quite, doesnt matter, I can say whatever I want to another person on the street. Maybe even a crowd of people. but if I am alone I fear turning red, it happened so many times.
I think the best way to get over it so I can live my life is first accept it is part of me. Is turning red bad? And know it doesnt matter what people think of you, it matters what God thinks of you.

Confusing people by me blushing, there where two insidents where I turned red and the people thought I was mad. One was when My math teacher broke some worthless project, he feeling bad about found out whos it was and apologised ever so much to me. it was mine, I didnt care a bit about the project, but he was looking at me saying how sorry he was, attracting attention from the class, my class, therefor making me feel akward, and blushing, he clearly misinterprited my blushing and thought I was angry for breaking my project, therefor asking for forgiveness everso more ernestly. I said I was okay and after what seemed forever everything went back to normal. this was 6th grade.

Another time was in 9th grade, a boy of who I toguh good looking in my history class, no one knew him, I invited him in my group to play a reveiw game. We were friend I guess, but soon the beauty of my history class noticed him, and I started to fear him, since I was sure he tough more of her then me. He changed classes and whenever I saw him in the halls I turned my face, I could feel it burning if I just saw him. and It had to be right red if he looked at me. so I had these senior friends and they greeted me right after I saw this kid in the hall. So my face was bright red, and the senior kid didnt understand how I could get so angry so fast. He asked my sister, which was the only reason I´m sure he talked to me, because he adored her. a time before I punched him in the shoulder as a greeting. I used to do this more but people would start complaning it hurt and that I was being mean but I only punch people who I like and know as a friend. any way he puunched me like I did him in the hallway this fateful day and tought I was angry because he hit me. Luckily I had the guts to tell him later I was just embarised. but left out the part about the kid in my history class. Whom they knew, the kid was becoming well known by then he aired on our school TV´s news.

am I a good writer? hope you enjoyed, I think I could be an author wiht all these stories, the funny thing is I never tell them cuz I dont want to bring up the whole red face thing. well public speaking and some good backbone friends as well as becomeing confident in who you are. growing confidence is the big one.

Hello!
I also suffer from Erythrophobia, and i used to get bullied because of it a lot when i was a little bit younger.
I think i was about 12 when kids started noticing it, and they were always trying to make me blush, and they used to say like '' hey you are as red as your sweater'' or a tomato, so i threw all my red clothes away, because i was to scared, i stopped talking to certain people because they made me nervous...
When it had gotten to that place i started to lie to my parents that i was sick, and i almost never went to school. With doing that, and always being nervous i started to get gastritis because of stress, so i didn't have to lie. I'm 15 and i'm still suffering with Erythrophobia and i still have gastritis today :(
but i did start wearing foundation, and i grew a lot more confidence around people now, but i can't go anywhere with out my make up, i cant even go to the door so in a way im less confident but i don't know