Hi confusedgurl08

Welcome to PC!

I've worked with some folks who had some horrible anxiety about using the telephone. What I did to help them through it was to role play with them. First by talking normally back and forth, then by using a intercom...not the telephone receiver. I would go into another room where we couldn't see each other. Then we would role play through the intercom. Next came using the receiver (2 phones/one line) in different rooms, role playing. Next, I would have them call me on my cell phone and I would be outside their home in my car.

From there, we would take small but significant steps to calling their friends or family....even if all they could do was dial the number and had to hang up when the anxiety got too difficult. The more they practiced, the bettter they became.

I also taught people with phone anxiety to talk while standing up instead of sitting down. By standing, you feel more in charge and can have more confidence while talking on the phone.

Maybe if you had some "cheat sheets" to use while on the phone....little phrases you can read and repeat.

I know alot of this sounds very simplistic, but it's the best way to work through the fear and anxiety of making calls. Familiarity will help to breed confidence and less anxiety.

Maybe you can ask your T if you can make the call from their office to the psychiatrists office. That way T can be there with you to help you through it.

As a person who used to be very shy as a kid, and still battle it today sometimes, I know where you are coming from. And to this day, I still get my tongue tangled at times on the phone.....and the best thing I do for myself is to laugh and tell the person on the other line that I'm a bit confusilated Sometimes a good laugh is enough to help break that anxious moment, slow you down a bit and get back on track.

Wishing you well!


sabby