Circulation Synopsis

This article, The Crimson Tide, begins by delineating a story of a woman named
Christine Drury who had always wanted to be a news broadcaster but had one dilemma;
she couldn’t stop blushing during the broadcast. The next few paragraphs focus on what
blushing is. It is involuntary in one sense but yet is voluntary in that it requires a feeling
or thought at high cerebral function. There is no biological explanation for why blushing
occurs. It seems to occur most often when one is humiliated or in shame. An experiment
was done at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, which showed that
people seemed to blush only when they could see the audience’s eyes. Blushing requires
fifteen to twenty seconds to climax and so embarrassment is detected early. Blushing is
sensitivity to what others think about you. Many people suffer from severe or
pathological blushing in which they can’t stand to blush in front of an audience and so
they typically remain alone. The article then turns back to Drury’s case. Drury had seen
and internist and tried many therapies such as paradoxical intention, antidepressants, and
psychotherapy. The result was futile. Drury’s blushing got worse to a point where she
was ready to resign. Before resigning she decided to try the surgical procedure performed
in Sweden to stop blushing. This procedure was called ETS and was performed to many
patients around the world. Ninety four percent of patients experienced a decrease in
blushing. This procedure was very serious in that it was open chest surgery but the side
effects weren’t life-threatening. Horner’s syndrome was the main serious possible side
effect. This operation was a last resort and it stops the body from sweating from chest up.
The article then describes the surgery in detail. After the surgery, Drury never blushed.
Occasionally she would experience a phantom blush but that was it. Towards the end of
the article, Drury ponders on whether it was the right choice to have the surgery done.
She feels abnormal and somewhat regrets it. Blushing is a natural occurrence like
smiling. Without one would be abnormal. It is just like talking away one’s ability to
frown or cry. Blushing is an expression and an emotion. Without one could not express
their feelings of embarrassment. In today’s world blushing can be eliminated as seen in
Drury’s case but the internal feelings of embarrassment and humiliation remain and the
inability to express these feelings could ironically make a person feel out of place.