What Causes Problem Blushing?

Why do some people blush more easily than others? Blushing is a physical response that is triggered by an emotional response to one or more self conscious thoughts. Everyone has self conscious thoughts from time to time, but such thoughts do not trigger blushing in everyone.

Most people blush at one time or other. People generally have a tendency to blush in response to shameful thoughts or actions. Blushing is a normal physical response to an embarrassing behaviour or thought. People who exhibit problem blushing, however, tend to blush in reaction to many additional types of situations.

People who tend to blush excessively have a tendency to be very sensitive to the opinions and reactions of other people. They tie their self esteem to how they are perceived by other people, and they are very susceptible to external criticism and attention. The emotional response that triggers blushing in such individuals is often tied to a fear of being judged, be it positively or negatively, by others.

Such a marked concern for the perceptions of others may be a genetic personality pre-disposition. While many people naturally have little or no concern for how they are seen by other people, many people at the opposite end of the spectrum are overly sensitive to the perceptions of other people. Most people lie somewhere between these two extremes, but those with blushing problems seem to be particularly affected by how other people view them.

Any time that another person is likely to form a judgment of them, good or bad, problem blushers are likely to turn pink. Problem blushers often experience blushing in reaction to finding themselves in a situation where attention is drawn to them. Just being the focus of attention, which makes problem blushers vulnerable to being judged by others, is enough to trigger an episode of blushing. The very idea that another person may be thinking about them can cause a problem blusher to blush.

Unfortunately, there is not a drug or other medical treatment that can stop problem blushers from caring about how they are perceived by other people. The best way to reduce blushing problems is to make a concerted effort to change the way you think and feel about being judged by other people. Since blushing is brought on by a mental trigger, to reduce the occurrence of blushing it is necessary to look for ways to turn off that trigger. While it is difficult just to decide that you don't care what other people think about you, reducing your sensitivity to the judgments of others is truly the best way to get problem blushing under control.