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Phone Phobia

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joflier

joflier

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 2, 2007
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3,504
I have it. Bad. I am afraid of talking on the phone to pretty much anyone except for my mom and a select 2-3 other people. I let many friendships and even a couple relationships fade away, simply because I could NOT get myself to dial some silly numbers and speak! The revelation of text messaging and email has been a saving grace of sorts. Don''t get me wrong, I don''t break down into a panic attack or anything, but just this inner dread that I get, and I''d do just about anything to avoid phone contact. Has anyone else had anything like this, or have any ideas how I can get past it?
 
Uhm....me too. I actually have nightmares about trying to phone someone, or the police, and I can never punch in the right number. I avoid the phone at all measures. Weirdness. I used to use the phone extensively when I was working.
 
I wouldn''t call it a phobia but I hate talking on the phone.
Very few people have my phone number and I would much rather email.
 
I hate talking on the phone.

I will if I have to, but I'm like . . . get to the point and hang up!!!

My partner will chit chat for hours with friends.
 
Date: 6/2/2010 7:44:26 PM
Author: Karl_K
I wouldn''t call it a phobia but I hate talking on the phone.
Very few people have my phone number and I would much rather email.
Click to expand...

Me too. I''m better than I used to be, but I still don''t like it.
 
Date: 6/2/2010 7:33:50 PM
Author:joflier
I have it. Bad. I am afraid of talking on the phone to pretty much anyone except for my mom and a select 2-3 other people. I let many friendships and even a couple relationships fade away, simply because I could NOT get myself to dial some silly numbers and speak! The revelation of text messaging and email has been a saving grace of sorts. Don''t get me wrong, I don''t break down into a panic attack or anything, but just this inner dread that I get, and I''d do just about anything to avoid phone contact. Has anyone else had anything like this, or have any ideas how I can get past it?
Click to expand...

This describes me pretty well. I''ll do just about anything to avoid phone calls. I CAN talk on the phone - and I have in the past when I needed to for work - but if I can avoid it in *any* way, I will. I get this feeling of dread inside when I realize I have to make a phone call to someone I don''t know well and I even rarely speak to friends on the phone. No idea how to get past it though, but I would love some ideas!
 
I don't like calling people I don't know because I don't know how the conversation will go. I don't like calling my friends houses because I don't know who will answer the phone and I don't know that they will be home or if they will be free to talk to me. I also get that feeling of pure dread. It's all really a continuation of my social anxiety and worries about looking like a fool to people.

To make it stop:
When it's somthing I HAVE to do (like call the doctors office) I pick a day to do it and write it in my organiser so I know a day at least in advance that that is what I will do that day. It gives me time to sleep on it and get comfortable with the idea so when the time comes I only get kinda nervous.

When calling people I don't HAVE to call I reason with myself all the reasons I need to call them like I need to maintian this friendship, I need to know if X is happening etc. Sometimes I end up calling, somtimes I don't. If there are too many unknowns I wont be able to call.


Praise emails!
 
Another person who hates the phone. It's a homing device, and I long to simply turn it off but the fear of being unreachable during a true emergency stops me every time. I think I'm just anti-techno-socialnetworking - I don't subscribe to facebook/myspace/twitter either, and I adore receiving handwritten letters from people
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In business I much prefer to converse by email, or mail - I like having a paper trail for all my doings.
 
Date: 6/2/2010 7:53:03 PM
Author: TooPatient

Date: 6/2/2010 7:44:26 PM
Author: Karl_K
I wouldn''t call it a phobia but I hate talking on the phone.
Very few people have my phone number and I would much rather email.
Click to expand...

Me too. I''m better than I used to be, but I still don''t like it.
Click to expand...
Me three. I don''t text either. All my real friends know that they need to e-mail me or find me on Facebook.
 
I like talking on the phone but I have friends who don''t. I can talk for an hour or so and have a great time chatting and catching up with family and friends, but I''ve noticed that I don''t do this as often as I used to. I''ve also noticed that I don''t run to the phone and grab it quickly like I used to.
 
I will do just about anything to avoid the phone.
I hate it when it rings and I hate it when I have to ring someone else.

Lyra
I have that same nightmare over and over.
It used to be about finding a pay phone.
Now it''s about dialing a cell phone
 
Thank God I''m not the only person like this. I dread it and I''ve just started to be frank with people about why I hand the phone to my husband as soon as possible without being rude. Anyone have any idea where this comes from? I was never attacked by a phone. And my husband just loves talking on the phone.
 
I hate talking on the phone too! Someone on PS pointed me to "Sly Dial" where it goes directly to another person''s voicemail.

1-267-759-3425 :)
 
Count me in. There are a few people I will talk to comfortably, but I hate dialing or picking up a ringing phone. I will mentally rehearse a phone conversation in mind for hours.
 
Not only do I put off making calls for days while I rehearse, I sometimes even write down what I''m going to say.
And after I''ve finally made a call I need a nap.
 
I don''t like talking on the phone, mainly because what I am trying to say and what people hear are frequently not the same, however, I have no phobias about it. I do not keep a cell and when I did, I didn''t text, I like face to face or electronic communication. Anytime I have a choice about emailing or using the phone, I always email. When the phone rings, I answer and when I need to call someone, I do. I do call my parents ever couple of days, but otherwise people usually have to call me.

More generally I used to have major anxiety issues and one of the things that helped a lot was to logically think through the consequences of what I was about to do. If I call a person and they are not there, the person who answers will tell them. If they are and it isn''t the best time, they will say so. They will appreciate that I called and unless I say something truly horrible, they will be my friend afterwords no matter what.
 
Oh, me too. I thought it was only me! 15 years ago I''d actually do anything I could to avoid even making a call to UPS to track a missing package. Something happened after my first marriage though (that I think had to do an awakening of my anger!) that made it easier for me to make necessary calls, but there are still many instance where I try to avoid them.
 
I don''t love talking on the phone but I hate voicemail with a passion.
 
I''m partially deaf, so I DESPISE talking on the phone because it''s often difficult for me to hear the person. I get anxious about calling strangers because I never know how loud the person will be or whether he/she has an accent. I''d much rather just send an email or something. Good to know the cheese ain''t standin'' alone!
 
I wouldn''t call it a phobia, but generally, I don''t like talking on the phone either. I LOVE to visit with friends in person... and for quickie communications, I prefer e-mail or texts.

I always attributed it to the fact that I have to be on the phone so much at work, that when I am home, it''s the LAST thing I wanna do!!!
 
I wish I could help you - I wish you could help me! I''m the opposite. I have no problems on the phone, it is probably my best communication method. I wish I was as good in person. I am the worst in type.
 
re slydial - that''s cool! Wouldn''t work here inchina - there''s no voice mail!
 
I am like that too. I just don't like calling to places asking questions and talking to strangers on the phone. (eg. bank, goverment, stores) I have to think before I talk. Sometimes I just make no sense. The person on the other line probably think I'm stupid or something. I'm weird. My bf is like "why can't you call and ask?" I just don't like doing it. I'm scared. I tried to avoid is as much as possible.
 
Yup. I have to answer the phone all day at work and it is very, very difficult- I much prefer the fact that our new phone at work has caller ID at least, which for some weird reason makes it a little easier for me. It has gotten worse as time has gone on too. I never, ever answer my cell unless it is a recognized number, and even then sometimes not. I know it is super annoying for other people sometimes, but I seriously just can't make myself do it.

Letters and email bother me to a certain extent too.

I have NO useful advice for you, because I have honestly gotten worse about it over the years. (It drives DH up the wall). But I'll be reading the responses that's for sure!
 
I hate talking on the phone, too. I much prefer e-mail.

I''ve always wondered why it is. It''s interesting, because I prefer one-on-one conversations the most. I think in my case it''s because I rely a lot on non-verbal, visual communication and cues and not having them over the phone makes me uncomfortable.

I''ve also heard that it''s typical for people in the generation Y to shun the phone and much prefer to communicate electronically via e-mail or Facebook.
 
Me too. I''m surprisingly fine once I''m actually ON the phone, but I dread making calls and do anything I can to avoid it (except for dh, my mom and a few select friends). Dh gets mad at me when I expect him to make all the calls for things like ordering food (LOVE that so many are online now) or other things like having to call our landlord, etc. I suck it up and do it when I have to, but I really hate it.
 
Me too!!!! I dont mind talking to people I know, but calling for customer service or whatnot, where I''m not sure how it will go I HATE! I have DH call for me.......

However I am in gov. foreclosure real estate - I''m on the phone ALL the time, so it helped get me over it (somewhat). So thats what I recommend. Its called flooding (i.e scared of snakes you would be in a room with 500 of them for a length of time.)
 
I prefer email and text.

When certain people call, they always want to talk forever and I''m like ... uhhh... ok..... yeah........ I gotta go.. I''ll text you later

:) I used to talk hours and hours and hours on the phone though. I just prefer text!
 
I don''t like talking on the phone, save talking to my mom, grandma, and aunt. I text otherwise.
 
Date: 6/3/2010 12:16:52 AM
Author: Cehrabehra
I wish I could help you - I wish you could help me! I''m the opposite. I have no problems on the phone, it is probably my best communication method. I wish I was as good in person. I am the worst in type.
Click to expand...
I''m with Sara on this one -- get me on the phone and I''m happy as a clam! My wireless headset is my best friend; can talk and do things at the same time. Last night I replanted my window boxes and chatted with my best friend concurrently. Sheer heaven!

Joflier (and others), I''m sorry you have such a hard time. Maybe you could practice calling someone who knows how much you dislike it, just to get more comfortable? Or even just "pretend" to call someone? (I don''t know how to explain this very well; maybe hold the phone to your ear and say what you want to say even though there is no one else on the other end of the line... does that make sense?)
 
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