Dutch present course to overcome blushing 04/02/2008 00:00

Dutch people who fear blushing can now take a short course to overcome their fear.

4 February 2008

AMSTERDAM - Dutch people who fear blushing can now take a short course to overcome their fear, a recent report said.

Femke Buwalda and Corine Dijk, two psychologists affiliated with the University of Groningen, developed the course to cure people with so-called erythrophobia - an abnormal and persistent fear of blushing.

Blushing is the reddening of the skin on the face and neck. It is an unconscious physical reaction, comparable to sweating. It results either from physical circumstances - intense physical strain - or emotional circumstances such as shyness.

It has been scientifically proven that people who fear they will blush, automatically blush more often. In order to avoid that, those people usually tend to avoid certain situations.

This evasive behaviour only strengthens their erythrophobia and, subsequently, their social isolation. In addition, people who fear blushing are less able to cope with the phenomenon when they unexpectedly find themselves in a situation where they will blush.

During the course, six to eight participants learn to deal with their fear. The 14-hour course is the shortest existing therapy to cure erythrophobia successfully.

[Copyright dpa 2008]

Subject: Dutch news