Treatment for Blushing and Sweating
at the Huddersfield and Manchester Hypnotherapy Clinic

Blushing and/or sweating are symptoms of anxiety and are signs of an oncoming panic attack. People who have these symptoms may find that symptoms increase as their levels of anxiety increase. It is, in fact, internal anxiety that precedes the onset of blushing or sweating, and when these symptoms begin to emerge anxiety is then increased further. The result of this is that symptoms become even more prevalent. This, to sufferers of these symptoms, is a feedback loop that simply increases the frequency and severity of symptoms that they didn't want in the first place.

Blushing usually starts at a place other than the face – such as the neck – then rapidly spreads to the face. When this happens anxiety levels are increased, and with that blushing intensifies, leading to feelings of embarrassment, which once again increases anxiety.

People who sweat in response to internal anxiety will also suffer feelings of social embarrassment. Once again a feedback loop will occur where the more one sweats, the greater feelings in anxiety, which then leads to more sweating. This may lead to large patched of wetness under the arms and/or sweat dripping down their facial skin. These symptoms can be particularly distressing for women who are, through the structure of society, generally thought not to sweat as much as men (although biologically there's no good reason why they shouldn't).

People who suffer from these symptoms may make choices in life that avoid situations that may cause the onset of these symptoms, or make make lifestyle choices to cover up their symptoms.

People who blush or sweat may adopt hairstyles to cover their faces (in very much the same way that teenagers my cover up acne using their hairstyles). They may choose to wear clothes that although may be inappropriate for the time of year, cover up any signs of sweating, such as wearing roll neck jumpers to cover up blushing on the neck or chest in summer.

People with these symptoms may also avoid physical contact with other people (for example hand shaking or sexual encounters) to avoid potential feelings of embarrassment that sweating and/or blushing may cause.

Why do we blush or sweat?

The actual culprit for these symptoms or adrenaline. These symptoms occur and increase with levels of anxiety, this is the classic fight or flight response.

As humans beings we have an innate ability to survive and avoid danger and this inbuilt genetic ability goes back to the times of cave men. The fight or flight response is a survival mechanism that pumps us full of adrenaline and allows human beings during this bodily chemical rush to achieve extraordinary physical feats such as extreme strength (to enable us to fight the threat) or extremely effective avoidance techniques (such as running very fast). Indeed professional athletes who are reprimanded for 'doping' take drugs to stimulate this response.

Adrenaline affects the sympathetic nervous system and widens blood vessels throughout the body by altering the muscle tone of blood vessels. When the muscle tone in the blood vessel walls relaxes the blood vessels just below the skin fill and there is an increased volume of blood going to the skin. Given that we have red blood cells, not surprisingly our face, neck, ears, chest go red. People usually blush and/or sweat when they have done something embarrassing, such as spilling their food or drink, but people are also able to express these symptoms at the thought of being in an embarrassing situation.

The key to all this is that these symptoms are a natural result of what we did as humans when we were cave men; when we have high levels of anxiety, the fight or flight response kicks in. Because this is innate in all human beings, we can have these symptoms when we feel anxious, without there being a real external stimulus (such as a lion trying to attack us). These symptoms exist because of internal anxiety. If we are able to remove this anxiety, so do the symptoms.

Overcoming blushing and sweating

Please contact me at theHuddersfield Hypnotherapy Clinic or the Manchester Hypnotherapy Clinic (UK) so that we can arrange a completely informal, no obligation, free consultation to discuss your needs further.