Can't talk on the phone?

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This morning my mum came in and said one of my social workers was on the phone and wanted to talk to me, and I refused to take the phone off her and I totally freaked out, because I can't talk on the phone unless it's someone I know well.

Last time I had to speak to a social worker on the phone, the call went on for ages and my mum was in the background nagging me to walk the dog, so I said so, and now the social worker thinks I was being rude.

Plus, I feel that my privacy is invaded when social workers call me at home, or make appointments at my house. It's bad enough having to talk to them at school and at the clinic, but it's just too much when they can reach me at home.

I'm starting to feel this problem is actually more with the social workers than with the phone, actually. But I hate answering the phone anyway, because I always sound like an idiot, so if the house phone rings when I am home alone I always let it go to answerphone, as it's never for me anyway.

I can talk on the phone perfectly fine to whoever, just something I've learned to do, however I have a severe dislike of social workers, mine calls me only if needed though thankfully

I rarely get phonecalls right now, however when I do I have no problem with them

if it's a telesales call I just hang up on them........ they just go on and on.. grr

I don't really like using the phone because I find it hard to know what to say while talking on it and I always end up talking at the same time as the person on the other end and it gets very confusing!

I prefer e-mails and texts because I have time to think about what to say and there is a simple system of replying to eachother so I don't have to worry about talking over the person accidentally and if I don't feel like talking at the moment I can just reply later.

I also hate talking on the phone, unless its some doctor or therapist.
This goes on even with friends or potential boyfriends, and this can make my social life difficult at times.

Yeah I think trouble talking on the phone is pretty common. I used to hate it as well until I had a job where I had to cover for the receptionist on her breaks so I had to get over my phone phobias very quickly.

I also never used to answer the phone at home. Why bother when all I'm going to do is say "hold on... MOM its for you!" lol
Whenever the phone rang, I'd yell down to her room that the phone is ringing.. or I'd pick it up and run it over to her and she used to get so pissed at me for that telling me to just answer it myself.


But why?

I can't talk on the phone for very long. It's so impersonal and everything else is such a distraction. I can last on the phone for a short time, but I might zone out on the poor person. So I often have to cut it short.

I don't think any of us want to talk in stressful situations when it comes to the phone. Most of us don't operate well under stress and being cornered on the phone or such is just compounding factors. It is something we have to deal with tho as we make our way through life.

Yer, I don't like phones either. I don't even have, or want, a mobile (cell) phone.

I hate it when my dad tells me to answer the phone when he's at the shops, and the phone rings but I just can't bring myself to answer it, or I do answer it and end up messing up by saying the wrong thing.

I don't like talking on the phone to people I don't know well, but what I REALLY hate is leaving messages on the answering machine. I never figure out what to say or how to say it.

I am not keen on talking on the phone, but have learned to do it well enough for work purposes. I would much rather chat to someone on msn or via text I also hate answering machines as i never know what to say after the beep, that I get flustered and then hang up without having said anything..

For me, talking on the phone is just as bad as talking to someone face-to-face. I always worry about what to say, what the other person's going to think of me when I talk, how I'm going to sound, etc. In the back of my mind, I always hope that they don't pick up so I don't have to worry about making myself look like an idiot.

Writing an e-mail, texting, or using IM isn't a problem, cuz I'm actually able to read & re-read what i wrote to make sure it's okay. With talking, once the words come out of your mouth, there's no going back.

I can't stand talking on the phone. I refuse to do it. I think it's because it takes longer for me to process what the person is saying, and I have to think of an answer. So it's hard to do it without a long delay.

I'm pretty similar in that stance. I hate talking on the phone very much which is why I don't have one of my own. I suppose I feel I would make a fool of myself on the phone and I have a very hard time following instructions with my ears. That's why I've had my mother call things for me. She'd call to make appointments for me. She'd call if there was something wrong with my computer. I guess I could blame my mother for this but for some reason I fear the phone. With the few times I've talked on the phone with a stranger, I felt extremely uncomfortable. Like my sister keeps saying, 'Mom can't make calls for you forever." I know she's right. I always have the mentality of thinking. "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it".

For me, talking on the phone gives me the same anxiety as talking to people in real life. Except talking on the phone can be worse, because it can be hard to understand what the other person is saying. Also, the sound of a phone ringing drives me crazy. Unless it's my cell phone, I like my ringtone. But, I can talk on the phone when I need to.

I let one of my credit cards be cancelled rather than call to fix a simple problem, I make people call places and pretend to be me to make appointments, I use relay services online and pretend to be deaf, I avoid answering the phone... I don't even think I'd call 911 if I fell and broke a bone. Anything to avoid the phone.

One time at school I fell and I swear I should have given the paramedics a fake number but they said it was just for their records. I told them not to call me at home and they said they wouldn't. I refused to be taken to the hospital, signed the necessary papers and walked away.

They called me at home. I threatened to sue (since I didn't pick up, my mom did, they told her and I'm past 18. That's a breach of confidentiality and, one could argue, discrimination). I never did, but I hope they got the message.

Yes! I have a tendency to blurt nonsense and look like an idiot. Typing always involves a delay that works as a nonsense-filter. People I talk to on the Internet think I'm a genius.