Am I the only aspie to have this type of issue

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Blue_Jackets_fan
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06 Nov 2012, 11:39 am

I have a weird phobia of telephones. I can not and I mean can not stand being on telephones for very long. Over the last few months I been helping out at a local campain office doing all sorts of projects. Lately the manager of the office there has been having me on the telephone to help make campain calls which I had no problem as long as I take brakes whenever I start feeling uncorfable after a while. Anyway lately shes been hounding us to make more phone calls for the upcoming election and the other day I was on the phones and I started having what I describe shortness of breath, axieity(sp), overly stressed,etc. This guy on the other end started cursing me out and I became like Popeye "that is all me can stand me can't stand no more" and I slam the phone down on the hook and told the manager to keep me the hell away from the phones because I was about ready to "hurl the damn phone across the room." I didn't mean to snap like that. It was just I was trying my best to overcome my phobia and needless to say I didn't seceed in that battle. It didn't really help the manager at the camapin office kept pressing me to make phone calls never mind I told her repeatedly I have a major issue with phones. She isn't a bad person but I don't think she really understood what was up with me.



iggy64
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06 Nov 2012, 11:44 am

I struggle with phone calls. When people call "just for a chat" I run out of things to say, and then I feel guilty that I'm do boring for them, and if someone wants something I get flustered and can't remember x y z.

I hate making phone calls much more though, I will stall and stall until I'm forced to dial the number, and feel very anxious right up until the conversation is over. Fortunately at the minute I don't have to make a lot of phone calls, but in the future I may have to.


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Sanctus
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06 Nov 2012, 11:45 am

This is not unusual at all. A lot of us hate telephones. Me too, by the way. Terrible invention. :lol:



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06 Nov 2012, 11:45 am

iggy64 wrote:
I struggle with phone calls. When people call "just for a chat" I run out of things to say, and then I feel guilty that I'm do boring for them, and if someone wants something I get flustered and can't remember x y z.

I hate making phone calls much more though, I will stall and stall until I'm forced to dial the number, and feel very anxious right up until the conversation is over. Fortunately at the minute I don't have to make a lot of phone calls, but in the future I may have to.


It def doesn't help when you get people who do NOT like being called asking if they are voting for Romney/Ryan. Had one curse me out for a good 3 minutes the first week I was on them.



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06 Nov 2012, 11:46 am

Sanctus wrote:
This is not unusual at all. A lot of us hate telephones. Me too, by the way. Terrible invention. :lol:


Do ya ever have like what I had when I am on one for very long? What I was doing was phonebanking where I randomly call people throughout the entire state of Florida.



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06 Nov 2012, 11:49 am

I hate phones. When mine rings, I usually don't answer it. I have to collect myself and return the call if it is my grandparents or someone else without the ability to send a text. When my mom or a friend calls, they usually immediately send a text after I don't answer. I hate making calls to make appointments and such, and I usually have to practice what I'm going to say before I call. However, my last job was as a debt collector, and I was on the phone for pretty much 8 hours a day. I didn't like it, but it was less stressful because what I had to say was fairly scripted and formulaic. Though, there were times when someone would veer from the expected and cause me problems. I worked there for 3 long years before I quit to stay home with the kids.



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06 Nov 2012, 11:55 am

Blue_Jackets_fan wrote:
Sanctus wrote:
This is not unusual at all. A lot of us hate telephones. Me too, by the way. Terrible invention. :lol:


Do ya ever have like what I had when I am on one for very long? What I was doing was phonebanking where I randomly call people throughout the entire state of Florida.


I had a job in a pizza delivery for a while, which was very exhausting. Luckily I just had to take calls and not make them myself, but it was still very stressful and annoying. It was much too loud in the room, with everyone else talking and the ovens making noise, and I couldn't turn the phone volume up any higher. I had a lot of rude callers, more than you'd think. When I had to ask "sorry, what did you just say?" they quickly got impatient and yelled at me. At the beginning I sometimes forgot a part of the order and the boss got in trouble for it, which was very embarassing. Luckily I only worked there for a few weeks and then quit myself.



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06 Nov 2012, 12:02 pm

Sanctus wrote:
Blue_Jackets_fan wrote:
Sanctus wrote:
This is not unusual at all. A lot of us hate telephones. Me too, by the way. Terrible invention. :lol:


Do ya ever have like what I had when I am on one for very long? What I was doing was phonebanking where I randomly call people throughout the entire state of Florida.


I had a job in a pizza delivery for a while, which was very exhausting. Luckily I just had to take calls and not make them myself, but it was still very stressful and annoying. It was much too loud in the room, with everyone else talking and the ovens making noise, and I couldn't turn the phone volume up any higher. I had a lot of rude callers, more than you'd think. When I had to ask "sorry, what did you just say?" they quickly got impatient and yelled at me. At the beginning I sometimes forgot a part of the order and the boss got in trouble for it, which was very embarassing. Luckily I only worked there for a few weeks and then quit myself.


I def would not last long working with phones. I'm just glad I was only a volunteer.



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06 Nov 2012, 12:17 pm

I thoroughly hate that f*****g invention, even more so since everyone can email me!

My sister gave me several cell phones but I never used one. Finally she gave up. Set and match for me.



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06 Nov 2012, 12:23 pm

Firstly, good for you for even giving it a shot, that's seriously fantastic and way more brave than how I've approached my emtophobia in the past (and probably future). Secondly, I totally feel you on hating phones (though not as severe on my end) as I do almost always ignore phone calls, get out of breath while I'm talking and have to pace like a maniac to keep sane. I'm pretty thankful for email and texting. I guess it's good the elections are today, right? Shouldn't be much campaigning in the near future since your boss doesn't seem to understand the exact depth to which you abhor phones.
@PTSmorrow, ha! Winner. I tried that same tactic with my Dad trying to force jobs on me but alas, he still calls all the time 'get in touch with Target, they're hiring' 'McDonald's is hiring!'



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06 Nov 2012, 12:30 pm

windtreeman wrote:
Firstly, good for you for even giving it a shot, that's seriously fantastic and way more brave than how I've approached my emtophobia in the past (and probably future). Secondly, I totally feel you on hating phones (though not as severe on my end) as I do almost always ignore phone calls, get out of breath while I'm talking and have to pace like a maniac to keep sane. I'm pretty thankful for email and texting. I guess it's good the elections are today, right? Shouldn't be much campaigning in the near future since your boss doesn't seem to understand the exact depth to which you abhor phones.
@PTSmorrow, ha! Winner. I tried that same tactic with my Dad trying to force jobs on me but alas, he still calls all the time 'get in touch with Target, they're hiring' 'McDonald's is hiring!'


I actually did ok when she had me go door-to-door with another person (the other guy did most of the talking). I was hoping she would use me for other things like my passion for polls and figures and numbers. I for some reason find polls and stats fasinating. I would of even been ok in helping out with clerical duties.
It is just starnage I can do ok most of the time dealing with a person one on one such as at Publix but DEF not on a phone.



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06 Nov 2012, 12:39 pm

I don't like answering a phone if I don't know who's on the other end - I rely on caller ID. I need to be prepared.

I usually let my calls go to answerphone so I can take the time to see who it was, and call them at a time when I'm ready for it.

I hate it when a phone rings... somehow I always think it will be bad news. After I got a bad news phone call one time I had to change the ring tone on my mobile because the sound made me uneasy. Now it's usually on vibrate so I don't have to hear it at all.

It's hard speaking on the phone because you lack some of those visual cues that help in communication.

Phones involve a lot of uncertainty, and difficult communication.

Good for you for tackling the phobia. Practice can only help - as long as it doesn't end up producing too many stressful assocations. I don't think I'd ever be given a job that involved using a phone, so you must cover your fears well enough at least some of the time!



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06 Nov 2012, 12:50 pm

I hate answering the phone but I also hate the ringing sound. We get a lot of junk calls and while most of the time someone else answers it, when I answer the person on the other side often has a strong accent or something and I need about 100 repeats to de-scramble the words :roll: .


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06 Nov 2012, 1:43 pm

I hate answering the phone or calling strangers. I got drafted for answering the phones for a call-in show at the TV station where I work, but after I started crying talking to someone who was demanding to be put on the air right away, I will not have to do that again. :D


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06 Nov 2012, 1:44 pm

I'm the same way. My husband makes all the phone calls.



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06 Nov 2012, 1:51 pm

I would usually sweat out my shirts while on the phone. No idea why. Now I'm so hard of hearing my husband must make all my calls, which I find a relief.