How to Deal With Blushing When You Have Social Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety, flushed face, sweating, and trembling can be symptoms of social anxiety disorder (SAD). When you have social anxiety, blushing and other symptoms may happen when you are in a social situation that causes fear of being in the spotlight or being negatively evaluated or judged by others.

Blushing that is troublesome can be a source of emotional pain and misunderstanding, as others may assume that you are embarrassed or hiding something when it's just your anxiety acting up.

Learn more about how social anxiety causes blushing, what you can do about it, and how to cope.

How Anxiety Causes a Flushed Face

Flushing is a normal physiological response that results in the face, neck, and/or chest becoming red. Although the two words are often used interchangeably, blushing is limited to the face while flushing tends to be more severe and widespread across other parts of the body.

Flushing occurs when a fearful situation triggers the body's fight or flight response. When you experience fear, your body releases adrenaline. The adrenaline causes blood to be redirected to your muscles and increases your heart rate so you'll be ready to run if needed.

The tiny muscles in your blood vessels usually keep the vessels slightly squeezed; however, during a blushing episode, nerves in your body send signals to relax these muscles. When the blood vessels widen, more blood passes through to the skin, causing a flushed appearance. A rapid heart rate and muscle tension can also contribute to an increase in blood flow, enhancing the effect.

In people with social anxiety, the fight or flight response can be triggered during a social interaction, especially one that causes fear of embarrassment or judgment.

When a person with SAD blushes, it usually goes along with a host of negative automatic thoughts, such as "Everyone is noticing how red I am" or "Everyone thinks that I'm weird." Some people with SAD blush when they are put on the spot, made the center of attention, or caught off guard in a social situation.

How to Deal With Blushing Due to Social Anxiety

Because blushing is an automatic process, it is nearly impossible to stop once it has begun. In fact, the harder you try to stop blushing, the redder you will usually get.

If blushing is a problem for you, knowing how to stop blushing before it begins is the best way to lessen its impact. To prevent blushing, think ahead to situations in which you usually blush. If it's usually when you are made to be the center of attention, have a plan in place to cope when that happens.

This might involve relaxation strategies that you can employ in the moment. Try deep breathing or focusing on a positive mantra such as "I am calm and relaxed."

Treatments for Blushing

A number of treatments are available for problems with blushing. If your blushing goes along with other physical symptoms or appears along with a medical problem, a medical cause is likely and a medical doctor can offer the best course of treatment.

When blushing is a symptom of SAD, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) directed at the underlying anxiety that maintains blushing is a good treatment option. Through CBT, you will learn how to think, act, and feel differently, which in turn will have a positive impact on your problems with blushing. Another treatment option that can help at the same time is medication to treat SAD.

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A Word From Verywell

If blushing is problematic for you to the point that it disrupts going about your daily life, interferes with schoolwork, or holds you back at your job, consider consulting a mental health professional, particularly if you have not already been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

This will allow you to determine the cause of your blushing or to receive treatment such as cognitive-behavioral therapy to help you manage negative thoughts that may make blushing worse.