Fear of the phone?

Post Reply New Topic

I can't really say I have a fear of the phone, it's more of a phobia of calling someone I don't know to ask for something that I will most likely forget half of what it was I wanted. I get really nervous if i have to call in for pizza, I normally make my husband do it. I also have a HUGE problem with those drive up window speakers. Even though I greatly dislike going in and ordering, I will force myself to go in so I don't have to face those speakers. (They make my hands shake, visibly.)

For some reason, if I don't need something of someone that is really important, I actually kind of forget that I can use it. I don't like answering the phone, but that's mostly because of bill collectors, and I think that is an "everyone" thing there.

Ive always hated the phone. As a teenager my sisters were on it for hours, but I never touched the thing. Answering a call was even worse as you never know who it is. Even now, apart from speaking to my parents once a week which is OK, I hardly ever make calls - I never call friends for a chat and even the times that I have called to make arrangements have been really awkward. At work I always pretend not to hear it, or be really busy when it rings so that someone else gets it. Luckily noone has forced me to use it more. Needless to say, I do not own a mobile (pretty much the only person I know who doesnt).

Oh yes, and when I have to make a call for something, I cant stand to have anyone overhear my conversation. I prefer to be alone so I can concentrate on that - I never call from work, but always go home (I live fairly close) specifically to do so.

What I said in a previous thread about the horrors of the phone:

I rarely use the phone. The only I call somebody is to order something to eat. Sometimes I don't even answer the phone I just let it ring and let the answer machine take it.

While I don't hate talking to the phone I hate answering it when it rings and dialing a number.
I don't know why, and it doesn't bother me.

I dont mind ordering pizza or a taxi, but i dont like answering the phone when i dunno who it is, i just let someone else answer it or put my earphones on and pretend i didnt hear it.

No, I don't have a fear of it so much as I don't like talking on the phone- and here's why:

1. You have to drop whatever you're doing, and talk.

2. If you say something stupid when you're on the phone that's it- you can't take it back. If you say something stupid online, you can quickly delete it before sending it.

Online, you can talk to people, and do other things WHILE you're talking to them.

For the longest time, I didn't like using the phone. I didn't care if people called me. I just hated calling people, especially people I didn't know that well. I rarely called my best friends. I was afraid that I was disturbing the people who I called in some way. I thought it was much easier to talk to people face to face than on the phone. My mom helped overcome my fear of calling people. Now, I'm fine with it. I can talk to my best friend for hours on the phone. I eventually got over it after I graduated from high school. That was over three years ago.

surprisingly, no. I spend so much of my time on the phone, it doesn't bother me. You're at a bit of a distance from the person on the other end, so it's easier to take. I have contact calls, teleconferences, follow-up calls; I guess I'm just used to it...

Now at home, it's something else. I don't really have anyone to call, and most of the people calling in who want to talk to me want money, and if not, they want to talk to someone else...

I've got no problem with using the phone as long as it's one of my closest friends or a family member.

I found I actually had a harder time setting up a doctor appointment last week than calling one of my friends.

I've had Caller ID forever and am selective about who I answer.

Alexander Graham Bell got rid of his phone saying it was too annoying/noisy.
He probably was an aspie.
I HATE THE PHONE!! !
I'm ok with cellphones, but the annoying ring and just... talking I find anxiety inducing.

The phone annoys me for many reasons:

* My Ma is always using it and she uses a different voice when speaking on the phone and I think she sounds ridiculous and exaggerated when doing so.
* I don't like to call strangers.
* I don't like 'social calls' (Ie: "Hi?" - "Hi $realname!" - "Hi Ma, why are you calling?" - "I just wanted to call" )
* I hate ringing phones, can't they make a phone which doesn't pierce my ears when it rings?

egad, i didn't realize the extent to which the phone is to aspies as garlic is to
witches.

i too find everything about the phone horrifying. every time i walk into my
office i dread seeing the red message light glowing on my phone.

maybe it is time to add Phone-phobia to the diagnostic list.

fG

I get extremely anxiously when I call somebody, yet if somebody calls me, I'm fine. I'm so afraid of social rejection that it affects my ability to call anybody I guess I feel like if they call me, I'm wanted, and so they like me.