does anyone else have this problem?

ok, so. ive been diagnosed with agoraphobia, but i mostly feel anxious in social situations. ive had this problem with talking to people on the phone for a long time now. it makes me uncomfortable and self conscious. i feel like im going to say something stupid half of the time. there is always a million thoughts running through my mind whenever someone calls my phone or before i pick up the phone to call someone. it really makes me nervous and i hate it because i know that i have to talk to people over the phone. its a normal part of life...its so stupid but the anxiety is always there. i have alot of sh** to deal with and i need to find a therapist, but even doing that is hard....i cant even do the simplest of things.

Anxiety presents itself in different ways to different people and your is no different the other basic feelings that people have with other anxieties. My is GAD- general anxiety, and each day is difficult for me to get up and get going mentally, I just want to hide in bed or in my house- takes alot for me to get up each day and go to work. Sometimes I am challenged by going to places where there are people like out to dinner, shopping, etc......mostly because of fear of panic attacks or my anxiety.

Picking up the phone and calling for help from a therapist is the best thing you can do for yourself. I fought that fight for years and finally did it last week after many pleads from my wife. A difficult step for you and where you are, but if you can just bring yourself to doing it- it will be alright in the end.

We are all here to support you!

I get the same feelings but around ppl not on the phone, and I have pure O, best thing i found for me is to talk to ppl, and to take yourself less seriously, dont think about, listen to relaxing music, meditate and let it all out by crying. Write your emotions down, or yell and scream, just dont keep it locked up..

I don't know if I have it to your degree, but I definitely get nervous about making phone calls. I think part of it stems from me often not following through on my commitments including my job. I then have to talk to people on the phone about uncomfortable things like my missing work etc... Also, sometimes I feel people don't understand what I say or I think they're not all that swift.
I don't have a therapist right now but I do need one for all my other problems. But I agree that if you can, get a T because these symptoms are really troubling you.

Z

It doesn't sound strange to me. I have my ringer perpetually turned off and only look for voicemail. I don't really know anyone so it doesn't matter! I am sensitive to noise so that is part of why I do that. I have a social phobia as well, and don't go out much. But I went from Wisconsin to Michigan on the train/bus for the holidays! You never know what you are capable of, and sometimes you can surprise yourself! I definitely love my comfort zone, but have to get out of it sometimes?

I have the same issue. and, half the time, I don't even answer my phone when my friends call. it took me a long time to pick up the phone and call to get a therapist for the same reason.

Hey

I can understand how you feel. I have a hard time with phone calls, which is why I rarely answer the phone, unless it's my mom. I hate having to make them, and avoid them in any way that I can. More than anything I hate those awkward silences on the phone, where you don't know what to say and neither does the person you're talking to. I think that they're why I dread phone calls.

More than anything I think I feel shame for not being able to do the simplest things, like talking on the phone. It's humiliating, and somehow I feel like it makes me a failure. If you're like me and you're feeling that way too, just know that it's not your fault. Anxiety often is out of our control, and it's not your fault that you're afraid of doing these things. Eventually your life will be in your control again, not anxiety's.

I wish you the best of luck in your struggle. Hope everything gets better for you soon.

thanx everybody....the support really, really helps.

Hi ~ I used to have severe anxiety attacks, and found it hard to do much of anything!! That included talking on the phone, going anywhere, etc. It was seriously screwing up my life.

Then my "boyfriend" tried to help me --- he said "What's the worst thing that could happen to you during these attacks?" I thought for a minute and all I could think of was that I'd faint. That wasn't such a bad thing. If I fainted in public, they'd just send me to the hospital - big deal ! It's not like I'd DIE or anything. I got to thinking about that every time I had an anxiety attack ~ what's the worst thing? I never did faint. I found that if I put my finger on my carotid artery in my neck, I could slow down my pulse so my heart wasn't beating so fast - and that helped.

After awhile -- about 6 months -- these attacks QUIT. All by themself. I was shocked -- but relieved!! I still have a few every now and then - but nothing like I was having. Weird.

I wish you the very best. God bless. Hugs, Lee

I have agoraphobia too. The only thing worse than having to talk to somebody on the phone is facing people in the real world. Going out is very difficult for me. But I'm fighting the agoraphobia as best as I know how. The battle is daily but I hold onto the hope that things can and will get better for me. Some days are better than other days....just don't give up trying.

I have the symptoms mentioned in the posts above and it has been diagnosed as social anxiety. I don't like leaving the house because I am insecure and anxious about all but the most superficial interaction, and I won't say I never make calls, but I have to work myself up to them for days, sometimes weeks . I put them off as long as possible and let others call me for appointments, then get off the phone as soon as possible. I'm sure I sound abrupt.
My New Year's resolution is to be more social and my goal is to make one phone phone call per week and one sustained social interaction per week. I started this week and am already stressed about next!!

I probably don't make more than one or two social phone calls a week if that much. I feel lonely a lot. I often have a thought that I'm cold, standoffish, an outsider, while everyone else is friendly, spontaneous, loving, with easy intimacy in their lives. It makes no sense because when I have an opportunity to be sociable, it's pleasurable and I come across warmly. Still, I hesitate to reach out, to initiate contact, unless someone offers it first. I always think, "Well, they already have friends they feel close to. I'm just a newcomer". It's anxiety and low self-esteem talking. It's so frustrating that I can't get rid of it. I hate being single and alone so much. It's all in my head that I wouldn't be welcome.

I have been struggling with anxiety most of my life. Each social interaction is difficult. If you only have a phobia consider yourself lucky, if you are diagnosed with a personality disorder don't bother to hope for things to change, they won't, and the harder you try to suppress the anxiety, the worse it will become. Also, I'm not one likely to dispense chirpy affirmations, sorry.

I have agoraphobia as well and have the same problem with the phone, although I am not so sure if mine is at the level as yours is. My phone fear kicks in when I have to answer the phone or someone asks me to make a phone call and I am unprepared> Foe example, something as small as my husband asking me to call and order dinner throws me into a panic. Semi related- I panic when the door bell rings or someone knocks on the door- I think that stems from a fear of "what if" which ties into my paranoia.
On a good note, I have been able to find therapists on line where you can simply send an email to make an appointment and if you let them know you are agoraphobic, some make housecalls.
Hope this helps, thanks for sharing about the phone, it makes me feel like I am not alone.