I Hate Answering The Phone

[SleepingDogs]

I absolutely hate to hear the phone ring. I don't mind talking to someone in person but it I hate taking to someone on the phone. I also hate to go anywhere. I don't mind someone coming to see me but I'm getting worse as I get older. Does anyone else do this?

[BFB]

When I was at my worst I just wouldn’t answer the phone, I used to shit it when it rang and just wait for it to stop, I wouldn’t answer the door either, in fact a knock at the door was even worse. It must sound absolutely crazy to people who aren’t afflicted with this phobia.

Still I am a fair bit better now and can handle answering the phone and opening the door, so I guess there is hope.

[ants-in-pants]

I don't like talking to strangers on the phone, like if you have a problem with your cable, or something like that. Or calling doctor's offices.

[Phobic&Fine]

I dislike talking on the phone overall, whether it be to strangers or friends or significant others. I just find it annoying. I'd rather see someone in person.

That said, when I was younger and my social anxiety was much worse, the phone absolutely terrified me. I got over it by spending a summer crank calling as I was staying with a friend in a nothing-to-do town.

[SleepingDogs]

It's really hard to explain to people who don't experience the dread you have when the phone rings. I even have a hard time calling my best friend and talking about something necessary. I am totally comfortable staying in my house...forever. I actually do better than I used to do. I do answer the door, at least most of the time.

[BFB]

Personally I find something like answering the door worse than answering the phone as it involves face to face interaction which is something I personally find much more difficult.

[Mona]

I find it much more difficult to answer the door than the phone, but the phone puts me into a state of fear as well. I usually don't answer if it's not a family member but even then I don't get a sense of comfort. I am still anxious. Answering the door is rough because usually it's somebody trying to sell something and when I try to decline, I get so anxious that I have to shut the door on them and let myself panic a bit in private.

[Socially Anxious]

Personally I don't really have a problem with answering the telephone, however I sometimes shy away from calling people myself, particularly with work related calls. A friend of mine won't answer the phone at all unless he is expecting a call, it can be quite difficult to get hold of him sometimes, he has a real fear of the phone.

[Phoebia]

Generally, I have no issues with regard to answering the phone, except when I'm at work and the phone rings. That gives me the jitters. It's because I fear that I might say the wrong thing, mess up during the conversation, or sound unimpressive. It's actually about my tendency to be very self-conscious that puts me in situations like this.

[oceangirl]

Personally I don't really have a problem with answering the telephone, however I sometimes shy away from calling people myself, particularly with work related calls. A friend of mine won't answer the phone at all unless he is expecting a call, it can be quite difficult to get hold of him sometimes, he has a real fear of the phone.

I'm like you. I actually love it when people call me, I am happy to talk on the phone. But I just can't call other people. Even my dearest friends, I will think of calling them for months and never actually do it. I can't even explain it. It just seems to me that I have to have a reason to call or else I don't know how to handle the conversation and I just get paralyzed thinking about it.