Rings Make Me Choke

[CallMeByYourSquid]

Am I alone in having debilitating phone phobia?

[Agora1]

Tell me about it, I may be able to relate in some way.

[CallMeByYourSquid in reply to Agora1]

The last straw for being fired from my last job (there were many other reasons) was because I wouldn’t recruit a patient over the phone because I said I didn’t trust people if I couldn’t look in their eyes.

[Hidden in reply to CallMeByYourSquid]

Can understand your point of view as face to face interviews can help see how they can get on in the work place, and if they can answer directly sticking to the point, and remaining calm even when under stress. It is calls from non contacts unlisted, which

I may wait to see if it is a known number. If I know there might be a call from an enquiry If I wait to see my call register I can see if it is an 0800 number. Was canvassed by a firm who have a remote call service using a mobile number. I looked up the name of the company and found their postcode was in Devon, when I live in Wales.

I then phoned them and a call assistant said she could not stop the outgoing sales pitch as it is not against the law and she would need my private details to stop the calls. I then told her I would report the company for unsolicited advertising to Ofcom. I don't use my mainline phone but just my mobile, so when it rang I left it and they did not call back. I find I can use my mobile to screen calls, and decide not to answer as is my right.

Hope you keep your control over your incoming calls, as if you have phone phobia, you do not want intrusive calls.

[Marimac]

Yes, I'll do anything to avoid the phone. It's something about the conflict or confrontation which may not even be negative. It comes and goes, not sure what makes it go either way but I don't understand why people can't just text or email. One part of it for me is that if I'm on the phone with someone who talks too long or even worse, repeats themselves multiple times, I feel my chest tightening and suddenly can't breathe. Ironically I don't have social phobia or anxiety, mine is when I'm alone. I can talk myself into being afraid to leave the house for days but I'm able to talk in front of a crowd without a second thought.

[CallMeByYourSquid in reply to Marimac]

I was at a job and I had to call a 77 year old woman to ask if she currently masturbates. The subject was a bit too sensitive for me and I freaked. It caused a non-subtle public attack. Yay damaged brains.

[Marimac in reply to CallMeByYourSquid]

Oh wow! I don't know what I would've done, was that something they expected you to do on a regular basis? I've been lucky with work for the most part and made one or two decently close friends, no matter how crappy each job. I probably would've asked one of them for a favor because I needed to handle something personal and asked that they take care of something for me that had to be done immediately. Then went to hide out in the restroom until they finished the call lol.😁

[CallMeByYourSquid in reply to Marimac]

It was a bit rare. I worked in pelvic floor disorders clinics doing clinical trial interviews and a participant answered the question incorrectly so I was supposed to call her to clarify if she is ‘sexually active with or without a partner’ which is a totally normal question but imagining a 77 masturbating was too much for my somewhat sheltered existence.

I got out of that one because she was having surgery that day and shouldn’t be disturbed for 6 weeks.

I was in charge of making sure all questions were answered completely. It was traumatic for me personally while others had no problem with such an intimate population.

[CallMeByYourSquid]

If I’m not expecting anyone and it rings I pretend I’m not home.

I feel ya. ❤️.