Fear of telephone calls?
 

I think quite a few people are the same as me from what I can remember from other threads - I have this really irrational fear of the telephone. I don't know what it is about it, it just terrifies me to answer the phone or to make a phone call. Yet sometimes I'm totally fine with it - I think it's when I'm told "can you phone ___ in half an hour/___ will phone you in half an hour" that I start to panic about it, like pressure is building up... It's such a bizarre fear to have. In my last job (that I'm returning to next month) part of my job is to answer the phone and I'm totally fine with that because I'm expecting people to phone... but when I'm unexpectedly phoned or told to phone somewhere, it just sets me off into this sweaty nervous wreck! Anyone else?

Greg what's your mobile number? xoxo

I haven't any fear of receiving or making phone calls but I really dislike having to use them.

Obviously for friends and family it is a must at times but I would rather see the people I am talking to not just hear them.
I hate having to ring any official or business place now with all this press 1,press 3, press 2, press 1, farce that goes on.

I do then avoid the phone,landline and mobile as much as possible and have set times where I contact people I want to catch up with or for them to catch up with me.

SAME. And I hate that people don't get it, my brother takes the absolute piss out of for it, calling me pathetic for what not when he thinks he's all high and mighty because he can make phone calls or he can't use the washing machine or clean or cook or argh rant sorry.

There's a few people I don't mind talking to, like my parents or whatever but I hate hate hate having to ring the bank was something, I have to work up to it and even then I feel like I can't breathe properly. This one time my credit card got locked by accident and it took me three weeks to ring the bank to get it unlocked, least I saved some money.

I don't know what it is, I don't like not being able to see the person and thinking I'll get everything wrong and sound awkward, just urgh no. Can everything be done by e-mail please?

Yeah you really feel like it's a massive deal and you get psyched out by it. I really hate people listening to me when I'm on the phone as well, like if I'm at work and get asked to call up a company to order something, I feel like a total idiot, my hands get all clammy and sweaty... and I hate when you get asked an unexpected question as well, totally throws you off and sends you into a panic. I hate not knowing who I am talking to and I get myself into such a state over it. If an unknown number calls my mobile I just watch it ring out; even if it's a friend (but not a close friend or family member) I just don't answer, wait and see if they leave a voicemail or text me what they were calling for and then I'll call them back. So terrified!

YES to ALL of that. I never ever answer a number I don't recognise, sure if it's that important they can leave a voicemail.

I kind of get it, I hate waiting for someone to call me, but then I dont know if thats just me worrying I will miss it.
I definitely do prefer me ringing someone I don't know rather than them ringing me.

I have worked in admin just about all my working life, only changing my career over the last couple of years to work in social care. Years ago I worked in a bank call centre and a lot of the time the customers would get quite nasty and irate with me. I stuck it 2 years in that job but eventually I had to leave because I began having panic attacks when I was going to work, obviously the job was far too stressful for me. Unfortunately that episode in my life has made me very phone shy so all the admin jobs I've had after that have had to have either no phone work or very minimal. I have a terrible fear also of not sounded professional on the phone in my work and my mind will go blank and I will go into a blind panic. I'm finding it hard to find admin jobs these days as most have phonework involved in the job hence me changing my career. Its quite ridiculous really because I'm like bloody busby on the phone at home and can talk for hours!

I don't answer unrecognised numbers either, If they want me badly enough they will leave a message.

I thought i would be, but when i got my first job in an office and i had to ring people constantly i realised i was pretty good at it.

I'm on the phone a lot at work and I'm fine with that, but I hate talking on the phone when it's not work-related. I chat to my brother for ages, but apart from that I don't really spend much time on the phone. It's not that I'm scared of it, I'm just one of those people who don't spend ages chatting on the phone. Which is just as well right now because my home phone line/Broadband has been down for over a week... Grrrrr....

Pretty much the same as Livia - I am on the phone a lot at work and am quite comfortable making or receiving calls but when I get home I avoid it where possible as I am quite literally often talked out. It drives my parents insane as when I lived at home I was never off the phone and cost them a fortune, now I have to pay the bills I avoid it like the plague!!

heck, I'd go crazy if my broadband when down, whatever did I do before the internet!

It's different talking to people when you can see them though and people yelling at you on the phone so that's understandable. People find it funny with me because I've gone up to celebrities and had full blown conversations with them but I can't ring the bank but it's just different.

I AM going crazy! It's been off since last Tuesday and they say it won't be back until at least 20th. Even barking at the Chief Executive's office hasn't helped. I'm 100 miles from one of the world's busiest capitals in an age of instant electronic transfer... and I have to live without Broadband for a fortnight because BT are inept.

Sigh...

I'm so tempted to phone you right now

also where was this fear that ONE TIME AT 4AM ONE MORNING YOU DRUNK HEIFER

I don't mind phoning friends AND IT WAS YOUR BIRTHDAY and it was like midnight SHUT UP

no I think this was another time (I don't remember it being my birthday)

I don't remember any other time :suspect:

Yeah, I hate phone calls too. Phoning my friends, take out places or student finance, for example - all unpleasant experiences. I don't think it's a confidence thing either because I'm absolutely fine in any other situation.

I think it's the combination of being put on the spot without being able to react to anything other than their voice. But then talking on Skype makes me nervous too :suspect:

Takeaways are the worst! I can only order them online or if it has to be done by phone, a friend has to do it.

Hey Zee... http://smiley-channel.com/images/fac...ys/call_me.png

No Livia. I don't accept.

I don't like it when Livia uses emoticons. Cheapens her.

I Don't like mobile phones to make calls and can count on my fingers the amount of times I've done it, I do text though.
I don't mind my home phone though and have an ok phone manner, unless you call to ask me about phone services or some rubbish when I'm busy lol.

I never answer the home phone, ever.

I used to be a little afraid but now I don't really care, I get sales calls at work sometimes and I just be blunt with them and rang up.

Now that you mention it, I do somewhat feel a bit on edge when my phone rings or once a friend asks if they can call in a bit or something...

I did however used to hate when my work phone went off at my past planning job because I didn't know too much about planning and when people would ask me I wouldn't know the answer :laugh:

I have now used seventeen emoticons in my whole life. I count them... because I hate them. And I hate myself for using them.

Forgive me Shaun, for I have sinned...

I do like talking on the phone, but not for a long time.

i hate it so much. i get all awkward and panic and get the shakes and everything it's awful

..awwwww Karl..:hug:..it sounds as though you have an actual phobia about it..I'm sure there are things that you could do to help with that, maybe you could 'practise' with answering machines and then you won't be talking to anyone..?...I do feel for you Karl, speaking on the phone can be quite scary, it's sad that you get so anxious about it...I'll google some stuff and see if there are any self help tips you could try...

:bawling: I hate talking on the phone to anyone apart from family, it really bothers me, I had to ring a bus company the other day and it was very important but I couldn't do it, I was having a war with myself.. I had to wait til the next day and get my mother to ring them, it was so shameful.

aw ammi i love you..i dunno i don't even know why i get weird about it..just one of those things i guess lol
i'm fine talking to my close friends or family but to strangers, it's awful..although i still can't hold a phone conversation longer than 2 minutes to anyone..well apart from one my friends but she forced my awkwardness away from her..on the phone like...if ya get what i mean...yeaa

..I think your friend has obviously made you feel comfortable Karl and it's just trying to feel the same comfort when you're talking to other people..luckily people don't have to speak on the phone so much because there are other ways of communicating..I remember feeling similar to you when I was very young and I would panic if someone phoned when my parents were out..they always left a paper and pen by the phone so I could take a message but I was too nervous and shakey to write lol...but some people just don't talk very much so phones are a nightmare to them, can you imagine how it would be trying to communicate on here if you didn't type..you're probably not a big talker Karl and prefer to have a person in front of you anyway...here's a link, the site has a few tips on it, I'll try to find some more stuff tomorrow...

..one of the things you could try is to write stuff down that you want to say and just read it off the page...

http://socialanxietydisorder.about.c...honephobia.htm

I used to hate cold callers but now I just ignore them or just put the phone down as im fed up. Normal people im ok with but sometimes I panic when I have to make an appointment but I do sympasie with people like zee and laura must be awful

If I'm in the house alone or everyone else is out of range, and the phone rings, I quiver in my boots. I hate answering an unknown call, or generally making calls for that matter.

I don't call anyone, and I hate it when people phone me. I don't even speak to my closest friends over the phone, I only talk to them face to face or through texting. If the phone rings in the house, and everyone else is busy I will still ignore it and let someone else get it. Idk what it is, I just have a massive anxiety problem with it that I can't shake. Phone-calls are awkward.