Support Group

[Pierced Musie]

I know how it feels to be scared of going out and answering the door. People may not think it is major but to us, it is. It is the same with answering the phone.

[MarMar]

I suck at answering the phone. I keep it ''silent' all the time, cuz I just can't handle others noticing that I don't answer it. I can, sometimes, answer it if it's someone I know, but most of the time it doesn't matter if it's strangers or people I know. This has proved problematic lately as I've applied to a few jobs and joined the student paper. Thankfully, they use SMS quite a lot, so I don't have to talk on the phone.

[Pierced Musie]

I talk to people I know, like my sisters and 'rents. Sometimes I have no choice but to talk to others because the 'rents will pass the phone to me. I'm slowly getting better at answering, but calling places is what I suck at.

And now I'm going to have to leave and study some Math. If I don't, it will be me in here looking for support tomorrow after failing the test... again !

[emmasi]

I quite like answering the phone if it's for me, and I don't even mind telemarketers when I'm bored. They can be a source of brief entertainment lol. The problem I have is the fear of taking messages for other people, screwing them up, sounding stupid if I ask things to be repeated, forgetting to pass them on, being asked questions I don't have answers to and feel I should have asked myself when I actually do pass a message on... It's like the one I mentioned in hear a while back. My brother called and wanted Dad, so I took that as the message: Dad- call your son. Then Dad wanted to know why my brother had called, and luckily I'd caught some information about that too. Usually I wouldn't ask, but my brother just happened to mention it - he wanted help moving. Then my dad wanted to know when he wanted help, and I was like "How should I know? Ask him!" ... because I really don't like being asked questions that I don't know the answer to. It makes me feel stupid and useless.

So I usually let things go to the answering machine. Even when the answering machine didn't work for a couple of weeks... I figured if anything major was happening, someone would get in contact with me online

[MarMar]

I don't know why I have problems with phones, I just do.

I'm better at calling others than accepting calls from unknown numbers. I guess it has to do with knowing who I'm calling, so I can prepare what I'm going to say.

Good luck with your test, Jess!

[penny lane]

A lot of people are nervous about the phone situation, but it's like anything, the more you practice, the less daunting it seems. Also, focussing on the fact that you don't like it/ feel you're bad at it will only make the whole thing worse, as it will become magnified in your brain uintil you feel it's something you simply cannot do, when really, of course that isn't the case

[MarMar]

Umm.. No, it's not really that easy. It's a phobia, just like any other.

[Pierced Musie]

... Phone-phobia is about as recognized at School-Phobia. Which is a shame

[-Tess-]

Okay, when I finish school in 3 years, I'm looking into joining the Navy.

only problem is, I'm a diabetic. I've been on the site, and it only mentions epilepsy being a problem, and that's it. Do you think diabetes would be an issue, even if it was well controlled?

[Mez83]

I don't think it would be a problem. It might pay to email and make sure, but I can't see why it would be a problem if it's well controlled.