I don't know if this really relates ... I have situational phone anxiety.

I can, for example, call a store to ask their hours with no problem. However if it's certain personal things or situations, sometimes I have sat in front of the phone for an hour or more before giving up and feeling ashamed, frustrated, despairing and depressed.

... like making first contact with mental health providers who invariable have no drop-in desk, no email, no text, no fax -- nothing except the telephone. Even the anxiety clinic in my nearest city only allows phone calls and has no live operator. You *have* to leave a stuttering mess of a voice mail. If you can even manage that.

Because I suffer from avoidance and rumination, the advice to plan out your every possible response is rather toxic for me. I can waste *days* agonizing over every silly scenario. I have sometimes had some luck with refusing to think about it, dialing the number quickly and hopefully letting the conversation carry itself.

I mean, I do know how to talk -- so long as my thoughts don't go spiraling off into never-never land.

Similarly, I often find it easier to respond to an incoming stressful call rather than initiate a call. I don't have time to work myself into a state. The other person invariably has their opening speil ready, and I can sometimes just go into reaction mode.

I try to tell myself that the person on the other end is probably busy or bored, and won't remember the call in five minutes. And wouldn't care if they did. When I encounter someone in person or on the telephone who is bumbling around, I just kindly respond and everything seems to work out. But it's the nature of social anxiety that we can never seem to put the shoe on the other foot. *sigh*

I wish had I some more useful advice.