phone calls of doom

I don't know exactly when it started, but I began experiencing anxiety over phone calls. My heart would start racing and I'd approach the verge of tears if my mom forced me to call someone. I tried explaining that I hate talking over the phone, but she wouldn't listen and assumed I was making things up. I didn't want to even call my family. I wouldn't answer the phone for anyone unless it was a school project or family calling (because they can yell at me). It was even to the point that one night, my boyfriend (ex) called me and I asked him awkwardly, "Why did you call me? I hate talking on the phone." I must have sounded cold and terrible, but that's how bad it is.

These days, the fear is still there, but I can make doctor appointments now. My psychiatrist's receptionist is so nice and always remembers me, so it's no problem calling her. But the fact that I can't see someone's body language unnerves me. I enjoy webcams and texting far more than phone calls, and I'm not sure why phones are just so bad for me. Does anyone else have this issue?

I know exactly what you mean. I hate calling people!
There are four people I can talk to on the phone, my mother and my three best friends. Any other time, I'm terrified.
I've recently taken on more responsibilities at my job (I work in a bit of a big retail store) and that means answering the phone. Which is really not a nice thing to do when you're scared to.
What I found that helped me, was to have specific lines I say, like I'm putting on a show. Of course this doesn't really help in social situations, but dealing with customers, making appointments, going to the grocery store, I have lines that I have stuck up in my head and I pull them out when I need to. Sort of like a security blanket.
Thankfully I have two really lovely best friends who make the phone calls for me that I can't, albeit with a lot of grumbling lol

I definitely know what you guys are talking about! Phone calls are so stressful, although I think I'm improving just a bit. What really helps for me is to have a detailed outline or script , so I don't get nervous or forget what I had to say.

Also, when leaving a message would work just as well, sometimes I cheat and use Slydial (google it, the site's not letting me post links yet!) to reach a mobile phone's answering machine. It's nice when I don't have to talk directly to a person.

I know how you feel. I've always hated it but my family just doesn't understand the fear i experience when the phone rings or i have to call someone to make an appointment or whatever. They actually get enjoyment out of seeing me close to tears standing with the phone in my hand, not being able to put the number in.

I'm totally the same! I hate making and receiving calls. At the moment, I'm waiting for a coworker to call me about hanging out later and my stomach is in knots anticipating it.

interestingly, phone conversations are the only things that give me cold sweats. i had to work as a library aide for my senior year and i had to talk to people all the time. that was no problem. but if one of the librarians wasn't around and the phone rang, i'd ignore it. but if they were around and could see me, i had to suck it up and answer the call. often times, it wasn't anything except, "have ____ call me" but once i actually had to write down information to give and i swear i thought i was going to hyperventilate. i was so afraid of messing up and i didn't want to stay on the phone much longer.

when i was a wrestling manager, we had to make calls to parents and i tried to put it off in exchange for doing laundry or keeping book, but one night i had to do it alone and i silently hoped no one would answer. it wasn't so bad when i had friends to do it with, because we switched it up, but alone is terrifying, especially when you have to call almost 50 numbers (2 numbers for each parent).

i don't even order pizza over the phone. i use the internet, but before then, i'd have my grandma call for me and just tell her what to say. i guess i've had this fear ever since i was 12 then.

oh, and does anyone have parents or family that likes to call people and sing happy birthday? it's just the worst! and when they answer and you have the pressure to talk, ugh. i love my family, but i'd rather text them. also, i hate receiving the birthday calls myself.

I'm exactly the same. I can't ever answer phone calls or make them. The only exceptions are my family and my best friend. Even if I get a call from one of my other friends, I panic and don't answer and then I end up feeling really bad. One of the things I regret most in life is whenever my grandfather used to call us, I would refuse, despite my mother persistence. And when he was in the hospital and I couldn't fly to Chicago to see him, I had to build up the courage to call him and tell him how much I loved him, because I never told him that enough, because I could never talk to him over the phone. He died, and I wish I could take back all the times I refused to talk to him, all because of my anxiety.

I don't enjoy answering the phone or talking on it, because I'm either busy, or simply don't want to talk. I get this big knot in my tummy and I feel like my head has goosebumps all over it. I enjoy talking over the internet, skype calls, or just in real life. Even if I'm extremely awkward in all of those situations, phone calls are just the worst for me.
I stutter, giggle oddly, and I mostly just say, "Yeah, uh huh, okay."
Truthfully, I just feel like a piece of crap whenever I have to talk on the phone or relay a message or anything. But, I'm home alone very often, so I have to, just in case if my family is hurt or something.

I'm really glad I stumbled upon this post because I am the exact same way, except only with strangers. If I know the person, 95% of the time, I'm fine. But making appointments or talking to strang people I've never heard of before makes my stomach knot up and all sorts of bad things. The worst part is that that is one of the things I have to do at my new job. It sucks because my boss is always right there and I'm so nervous of messing up or doing something wrong that I tense up and stumble over my words, forget stuff and sound like a complete idiot. It out-right terrifies me.

I have the same problem with phones, it's awful. there's only two people I answer my phone to, my mum and my boyfriend, but anyone else I refuse to answer it other wise it gives me a panic attack. I just kind of ignore the phone now, just hearing it ringing sets it all off even if I don't try to answer it, so I make sure I have some noise in my bedroom or wherever else I am and I just let it ring but I never answer it. I've been this way for so long but my family still thinks it's stupid and just an excuse to get out of doing anything.

Panda.

"I've been this way for so long but my family still thinks it's stupid and just an excuse to get out of doing anything" Panda

That's exactly what my family thinks and none of them will ring and make me appointments for the doctor so i just end up not going and then they yell at me saying that i need to go. I just can't win.

It's too bad there's no way to overcome this, because it's not like it gets easier each time. I had to call financial aid recently and I still felt apprehensive (fortunately they didn't answer both times and I ended up sending an email). I'm still afraid to call the pizza man. The only appointments I can make are with my therapist and psychiatrist because they're receptionists remain the same so they get to know you.

I feel exactly the same, I hate phone calls. Hate hate hate. I will do anything to avoid answering the phone. Even if it's someone I know, I just canot answer the phone to them. I'm okay with texting - I text a lot. But phone conversations, I just cannot do. For example, my lovely friend rang me 10 minutes ago. Despite the fact that she's a close friend, I couldn't answer the phone Instead I'm waiting until a certain amount of time goes by so I can text her and lie, like 'sorry I didn't answer my phone, I wasn't upstairs. Can't talk now but can text.' etc etc.

I often put off important things if they involve phone conversations. For example, the company I used to work for owes me a lot of money. The only way to get that money would be to ring up. I've been putting it off for two months now, because ringing up and talking to a stranger, asking for my own money, absolutely terrifies me.

I've had major problems talking on the phone for as long as I can remember. Thankfully, the people that know me well enough are at least somewhat sensitive to it. Most of my friends don't bother calling me most of the time. However, there was a particularly embarrassing situation in high school where I ended up having to answer the phone for one of my teachers. It was just the school's secretary (and I went to a small school, so it's hard not to know the person you're talking to), but I almost didn't answer, and when I finally did manage to work up the courage to do it, I very visibly stumbled through the brief conversation.

I feel at ease knowing others suffer this anxiousness just like I do when dealing with a phone convo.

Even while taking my meds, i still hated making/receiving phone calls.
I guess I worry about what to say while being on the phone..I worry about it before I even make a call or receive one.
I try to memorize things to say but it always comes out wrong.

I dont like making appointments!! I guess I am afraid the person on the other line will be judging my voice or what I have to say..

I guess that's what social anxiety is all about :/