Phone calls - communication issues

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Does anyone else here have communication issues on the phone? I can only call my two good friends, social worker, parents and psychiatrist on the phone. If anyone else calls me I refuse to answer the phone and I have to get my friend to call them back for me and ask them what they want.

The thing that gets me really upset is when "unknown number" or "private number" comes up on my phone. I get mini panic attacks when that happens.

I don't have a landline thankfully, only a mobile.

I also only answer the door when the person coming has told me that he or she is coming. I don't answer the door to anyone else, even if they keep knocking. Sometimes I get strong feelings that I've really worried someone without realising and the police are at the door again.....(they have forced me into hospital before when people have called them, concerned that I am a risk)

Do you have issues with answering the door too?

I live in supported housing so often people knock the door looking for another resident. Sometimes I get door-to-door salesmen or even preachers.........

It's perfectly reasonable not to want to answer the phone or the door when you don't know who it is. Unknown numbers are usually telemarketers and such.

At one point in my life I was afraid to answer the phone or the doorbell. I got past that, but I still don't find it pleasant. I've given myself permission not to answer if it would be a bother and I have no reason to suspect that it's someone I know. Anyone with an important message for me will keep trying until it's delivered.

That's true - although I still have to get the person to text me before I answer the door.

I don't like it either, I get a sinking feeling when there is someone at the door and I answer it hoping its the postman, as I *hate* dealing with anyone

Usually if I get an unknown number on my phone its my daughter borrowing a friends mobile, but it still makes me anxious, if someone asks for me by name on the phone I get a cold shivery feeling

I hate talking on the phone. I can deal with certain kinds of phone calls, like with family or colleagues, but I have a harder time with more unpredictable and unfamiliar phone calls. Most phone calls make me nervous and how well I can get through them depends a lot on the nature of the call.

I have a really hard time making phone calls. I really hate doing it and I use alternative means of communication (like e-mails) if at all possible. If I absolutely have to make a phone call I need to prepare myself mentally in advance. I try to prepare some phrases or questions/answers that I think I'll likely have to use. I have to be somewhere alone and in quiet when I make the call. I get really nervous and the phone calls usually end up kind of awkward.

Taking incoming calls is often easier for me, but I for example really hate taking customer phone calls at work, because I never know if they're going to be confrontional or ask questions that I'm not prepared for. I don't deal well with confrontations at all. I usually have to ask if I can look into the matter and call the person back, so that I can have a chance to prepare myself and think of good answers.

I hate answering the door too if I wasn't expecting someone. It doesn't really make me nervous though like phone calls, it just annoys me a lot. I want guests to let me know in advance that they're coming and I wish neighbours would warn me in advance too if they need something. I hate when people come and try to sell me something or collect stuff for charities or preach to me about something. I want to be in peace from such unsolicitated visits in my home.

I don't like being interrupted when I'm in the middle of something and since I wear very little clothes in the house due to sensory sensitivities I'm rarely dressed enough to answer the door without putting some clothes on first. I don't want to have to jump into some clothes in a hurry to answer the door, only to find out it's some salesman or an unexpected visit that I didn't get a chance to prepare for.

Yup, definitely have problems with the phone. Detailed answers in previous similar threads.

Actually the problem is getting worse the moment as I'm struggling to answer the phone more than usual at work ... ignoring it on most occasions. This is not good.

I let my parents deal with the phone and stuff. The private and unknown numbers get ignored.

A couple of times, a telemarketer called several times a day for a week straight. The second time, I was seriously contemplating shrieking into the mouthpiece. Thankfully for his hearing, he stopped.

As for answering the door, I'm not too bad at it, but speaking well enough to be understood is still a challenge.

i dislike phone calls so much.. i once had to make a phone call to the Trump organisation and i really had to push myself to press the freaken button =P
by this you are informed that i prefer texting and mailing as communication.., have something big to talk about worth my mouth opening.. please come to my house.
i really only make phone calls with my close family(if really needed to)

I never had any problems/issues answering the phone or answering the door.

I have no problem making phone calls, and talking on the phone in general, but the one thing I have a very hard time doing is answering the phone if I am in the middle of anything else. I simply can't change my brain from what I was doing to who I am talking to that fast. I am an absolute mess on the phone if I do this, and can't hardly say anything. So I almost never take incoming calls unless I'm not doing anything and can think, although that is rare. I will usually prepare a list of things to talk about before calling anyonep - I can't do it on the fly. I do return calls, though.

I don't like phones, I hear voices in them.

I hate answering the phone as well as speaking on it.

I do my best if it's someone I know or I have a script. When talking to strangers (say in a call center) departure from the script can destroy my ability to continue, or just make it downright exhausting because I've gone from a relatively smooth exchange to a discussion that seems to unpredictably whip around and I can't keep up.

Ritalin can help me focus on phone conversations to some extent - when I first got my prescription, I managed to get a week's worth of phone calls done in one afternoon (that's three calls total, but one took about an hour). I was still stuck on scripts, but it was easier to hold onto the scripts and not get sidetracked. I was still exhausted afterward.

People rarely come to my door and I rarely get phone calls. I never had issues with answering them either. But I do have problems when telemarketers call. I just need to learn to be rude and hang up. I hand the phone to my husband when it gets too much. Same as when it comes to other phone calls and I have a hard time communicating with them I hand it to my husband. I also hate talking on the phone because it takes me away from my activities and it's hard to understand what the person is saying on the other end of the line.

I have such anxiety with the phone that I don't answer it, unless I am already in 'social mode' and out with other people. I usually get people to leave a message and call them back when I am mentally prepared to talk. Same goes with texts...usually don't carry my phone around with me so I rarely answer right away, though I text back when I am sure of what to say and am prepared to chat.