I Must Confess: I have a bit of a phone phobia!
I hate making phone calls and will avoid them if at all possible.
The Origins of Phone Phobia
I guess my phone anxieties developed in childhood after my parents separated. In the hands of my Mum (who had severe mental health issues), the phone became an instrument of torture.
Many was the time I was told: “ring your Dad and tell him (insert hateful horrible embarrassing thing here!)”.
Mum also hated it if the phone rang before she woke for the day – which was rarely before 10am! I will never forget the time when I was 18 and my driving instructor phoned about 7.30 one morning as he was sick, and had to postpone my lesson. He was doing the right thing, but according to my mother HE WOKE HER UP and therefore was an evil beep-beep-beepity-beep-beep. She raged at me for days over that little epsiode, and all the while I was thinking What the??!!!
Then of course there were the many times Mum would scream abuse at me over the phone over some real or imagined slight …
Fast forward a few decades and the phone still triggers a bit of a mild anxiety state for me. Of course I’ve learned to cope with it over the years – it’s pretty hard to hold down a job or run a business without a phone!
Living with Phone Phobia
I do avoid making phone calls, it’s true, so that is definitely one of my coping strategies. My friends and family members know that I will very rarely pick up a phone and call just for a chat. It’s just not my way.
When I do have to make a phone call (for work for example), often I will write myself a script first so I know what I want to say! This helps me feel a lot more confident. (Needless to say, I’d have to be absolutely desperate before I’d consider a job in telemarketing!)
And I thank God for text messaging, emails, Facebook and the like 🙂
The Phone Phobia Gene?!
The funny thing is, I have tried really hard to overcome/hide my phobia – yet both of my kids seem to have inherited it, one more so than the other! What’s that about?!
I have spoken to a psychologist about my fear of the phone and although there’s room for improvement, I figure I’m pretty high-functioning for somebody with phone anxiety so am not too worried about it.
How about you – do you have a love or hate relationship with the phone?!
Firstly, sorry to hear your shoulder is playing up and you’ve spent a small fortune for little or no relief. Can relate.
I can’t say I’ve got a phone phobia, because I use to like the phone a little too much as a teen and I did a stint as a telemarketer but the last few years has seen me avoid the phone at all costs. Not sure what is going on there possibly hang up after the brief stint as a telemarketer.
I think being a telemarketer would be my worst nightmare ever! Not surprised if it left you with some issues 😉
There is no reason why I hate the phone – I just do – I will make a time to see you in person but I don’t want my time inconveniently encroached upon for a chat. Sounds selfish, but I’m tired or I’m busy, and either way I won’t be giving you my full attention. But email me/fb me and I’ll make a time to come and see you. Win/Win all round, I say. (I love this line: And I thank God for text messaging, emails, Facebook and the like :-). That’s me in a nutshell!
I feel bad sometimes about not calling friends but I really HATE it!
I’m just glad I’m not alone Janet! I think it’s actually pretty common (at least amongst bloggers!) and I suppose it’s getting easier to manage thanks to text messaging etc. I think people who don’t experience it still think it’s a bit weird though!
I’ve had to “suck it up princess” for work etc but it’s still hard!
I tend to text now, rather than call people which is the avoider in me. I often feel like I am interrupting whatever they are doing when I call, which is really stupid, because they will either pickup the phone or they won’t. Your childhood sounds very chaotic, you have done well to come unscathed with just a few phone call issues haha. I think the iPhone also has a lot to answer for. We can do so much on our phones to connect with other people, we often don’t talk face to face anymore. xx
Yes! That’s what I think too Lisa – I don’t like interrupting people!
I would much rather see you in person than talk over the phone, generally I think because if I am talking to you from home there is so much more I could be doing, if we are out I can focus. Poor telemarketers, what a horrid job, no time for them either, sorry. xxx
I’ve noticed that when I talk on the phone, I come out with a lot of cliches, probably because I’m anxious/nervous.
I avoid making phone calls like the plague. I book accommodation, make psych appointments and have even been interviewed for an article all online. I would much prefer to send text messages back and forth to make arrangements with someone than call them. That drives Paul up the wall, as he would much prefer to just call. However I easily call Paul every night, the mind is a strange thing sometimes!
One of the things I’ve had to learn with running my business is that time is money. So sometimes it IS better/quicker/easier to phone … even though I don’t like to! But as a rule I’ll email or text if I can get away with it!
I actually wrote a confession a while back about how I hate the phone too. I have learned to just get on with things at work but I hate cold calling clients and much prefer email to ringing people. I tend to avoid making calls at home too, except for family – I can’t really agent around those!
LOL I get hubster to do it 😉
Well, if you don’t mind me calling a fear of telemarketers my phobia. I don’t answer my house phone because of them.
I know! I don’t like them at all either and usually very quickly say “sorry not interested” and hang up before they have a chance to say anything. It feels rude but what can you do!