Telephonophobia...

[Fulgrim]

eh, I never answer my house phone. Everyone who I know (all 5 of them) has my cell number and I refuse to deal with strangers looking for someone else >.> Last time I talked to some guy looking for my brother for ten minutes before he realized I wasnt him, but at least I learned some....interesting facts about my bro lol. but even on my cell I dont like talking for long, I am a chronic social engineer in person (dont worry, I dont manipulate PIN numbers, just conversations) and I dont like not being able to see the person's face, gauge their reaction to what's being said, ect. I am quiet on the phone so most discussions end with a '...ummm, ok.....I gotta go.' I also have a problem talking online, I tend to overthink everything someone writes and come to the wrong conclusions....which has led me to some bad situations quite a few times.

Whenever I see a friend calling I sometimes feel like being an ass and answering with a "hello, {city name} city morgue, you bag 'em we tag 'em. What can I do for you today?" I got 3 of my friends with that, they said sorry, wrong number and hung up XD I had to call them back and explain...

 

[VoodooGirl]

I have to feel pretty comfortable around someone to be able to talk to them over the phone... I get really self conscious bout what my voice sounds like on the phone and I won't take calls unless it's from close friends... even then I feel nervous the first few times!

When I find myself in situations where I have to phone people such as potential employers... I have usually type in the number in my mobile and then take a few moments before I actually press dial... and then I alter my voice slightly to try and make it sound more 'grown up' lol...

 

[Minus]

Telephones are difficult for me. Sometimes i feel like i am getting better with them but then i realize that is just because it hasn't rang in a long time.

 

[CakeFace]

i'm completely telephonophobic. i have been my whole life. i've only used the phone one time in the last..probably about 4 months? and even then i called purposely when they werent home so i could just leave a message.

it's ruining my life. i dont have any friends because i cant call to make plans with them, or call new people. so i mostly communicate through myspace and the internet. it's where i spend 99% of my time. my family probably hates me because they constantly call and leave messages. i NEVER return their calls.

most people are completely baffled by it. as am i. some think its laziness, some think its being a brat. and those of you who also suffer from it, know thats the farthest thing from the truth.

i dont know how im going to go through my whole life like this. i'm already on medication. it's killing me inside.

 

[Einsam]

I am so glad that I am not the only one with Telephonobia. Thank you, this thread.

 

[Hijacc]

Me I only answer the phone when girls or my bestfriend calls

 

[zem]

omg, I thought I was the only one.
I hate talking on the phone! I only answer it when absolutely necessary (like for jobs and stuff) and the whole time while I'm talking, I'm nervously thinking "this will go on forever". I'm also afraid of my voicemail and don't have a myspace/facebook so I'm hands down, the most impossible person to contact.

 

[Scott]

I used to hate answering the phone at work. I think it was because I didn't feel I was prepared for what the person on the other end was going to say- what if I didn't know the answer? The world might just possibly end right there and then. Or maybe worse, like in some surreal sitcom, a barbershop quartet might glide in behind me and start singing cheerfully about my ignorance, letting everyone know I didn't know what the hell I was doing, eyes piercing my defences from all angles of the office. In my mind, anyway.

Then I got a job where my phone rang every 5 minutes and I was sat at a window answering constant questions for 12 hours a day. After that, I got over it. I realised that if I didn't know something, no-one really cared but me and the person who was asking, and I could just ask someone to get the answer. After a while, all the asking from other people in the office started to come to me, not the other way round. This phone lark wasn't so bad after all.

 

[davechaos]

I used to hate talking on the phone but now I am a little more laid back...the reason being that I probably have to take between 10 and 20 calls every day from a wide variety of people...parents, other staff, other Authority staff, other schools...the list is endless.

My favourite hobby now is when I am at home if I get a call from a sales person I let them talk me through everything they have and what it can do for me...normally it takes them about five minutes...and then I tell them I am not interested...I know this is cruel but at least I dont slam the phone down...and they do get to practice their speech with me...

Is this cruel of me?

 

[Scott]

I don't think so Dave. My favourite when I get cold called is to ask the sales person for their home number so I can call them back when I've thought about it. Then I'm like 'Oh so you don't like being called by a stranger at home? Go figure.'

Either that or you say you're quite interested but apologise and ask them to hold on a second, then just leave the room for 10 minutes lol. Done that a few times and wondered how long they actually held the line waiting lol.

IMO these people deserve what they get. I couldn't imagine doing that as a job. I wouldn't do it on principle, invading people's lives like that, it bugs the crap outta me.

 

[Rain]

Talking on the phone is usually awkward for me. I can't imagine how people my age can go on for literally hours.

 

[Oceanmist23]

When I was a kid I used to be scared of talking on the phone. I was a bit shy, all the way to the end of my teens, but I think it was because of my mum that I was scared of the phone. She's had it to a degree herself, which I also went through a few years ago. She was afraid of talking to strangers on the phone. She was almost never able to order catalogue stuff over the phone. She always had to ask my dad to do it for her. And she would be very self concious when strangers would call, like sellers and people only my dad knew.

For me, I've gotten a bit better at it. I have no problems at all talking to family or (the few) friends I have. It's only with strangers, like having to call up a taxi. Sometimes I have to write down beforehand word for word exactly what I want to say, and then read it off when they pick up the phone. At those times if I don't write it down before making the call I will end up making a mess of what to say. Kinda annoying having it like that. Hopefully it will get better too...

 

[samba101]

I'm not that great on the phone, the only person I can have a lengthy conversation with is my girlfriend other wise there's usually silence, no matter how I try it doesn't change. Practice makes perfect, but when there's no one to practice with and hardly any contact with other persons your just left with trying.

 

[anime girlboy]

i think talking on the phone is an acquired skill. of course if you havent used the phone for a week then it might be hard to dial number but you really just have to go for it. also, prettymuch everyone gets slightly nervous and is awkward during the first minute of conversation.

i thought i was alrite at it, but consider this one time i called a girl i like. she didnt really know me, i wanted to call her to ask her out. anyway it went like this.

girl: hello?
me: *hangs up*

and then dialed again

girl: hello?
me: hi its ken
girl: hey, whats up? *in a cool relaxed voice*
me: I *three second pause* *hangs up*

then i told someone about it on messenger, about how much of a comical failure i was at life.

eventually i called her back and we had an awesome half hour conversation. the kind that makes you really happy afterwards. we talked about cooking and veganism and protests and gigs...

 

[yai]

I can seriously relate to this. I absolutely hate talking on the phone. It's an incredibly awkward experience for me - I just get so nervous. I avoid my cell phone altogether at times.. It's really depressing when I think about it, because I've pissed the majority of my friends or acquaintances off by never answering and contacting them through facebook or something instead instead.

 

[waxingpoetic75]

I'm so happy to see that I'm not the only one. I abhor talking to strangers on the telephone. It's so bad that I will put off important phone calls to the last possible moment. I don't know how it started or why it's there, but I'm afraid of talking to strangers via telephone.

I even tried to face the fear by taking a job in customer service for a cell phone company a few years ago. I had to quit after 4 months because I was sick everyday from the stress of the situation. I feel that 4 months was a fair try.

I think I'm slowly overcoming the problem, but it's an oh so slow process. For everyone else out there, you're not alone!!! Stay strong.

 

[Joanna]

I hate talking on the phone... so, so much. The most annoying thing is that my friends don't realise >.<

I've got a friend who will stay talking for hours and hours and hours, and I'm on the other end struggling not to panic and hang up on her. I've been like it since I was a kid, never even calling my grandparents or anyone at home if I was away ;/ I'm in trouble at the moment 'cause I really need to call my bank to sort out some stuff... and I just... can't do it :|

 

[Caesium]

I've never called anyone in my life who wasn't related to me - but, last weekend, a girl called me :O

Yes, a real girl, from my school! I was totally shocked. I struggled to stay cool, I can tell you that. I managed to keep the conversation running with some small-talk, but we were both pretty awkward and the conversation didn't last too long.

 

[SunWeb]

Telephonophobia ? Ok, I had one, and still have to some point.
I was like most of people that answered here....feared to talk someone on the phone especially when someone else around. But time is passing. Since time that I started to not care (I know thats wrong but...), talking on the phone is normal for me. I still hate to call someone but when I call conversation goes very simple for me.

 

[SilentThinker]

I remembered that I could take up the phone and talked for 6 hours or more.I think it is really depended on the willingness and the interest to hold the conversation.