[hooMeye11]

I honestly cannot talk on the phone. I hate it because it is so frustrating for me to try and keep up with a conversation. It is so much more difficult for me to listen to what the other person is saying. I am always thonking of something else, but sometime I am thinking of what my response should be or what I would say next but by then I usually dorfet or am already on a new topic in my h ea d. Its so odd, and no one seems to understand, I'm not even sure if anyone believes me. What should I do?

[bpdruins]

I'm not sure if I have ADHD, but I can relate to your problem. I often 'drift off' when someone is talking. I also have the habit of interrupting or finishing someone's sentence for them, or answering questions before the other person is done speaking. Just have to try and hold yourself back. It's a learning process.

[missbelle]

I don't like talking on the phone that much myself...maybe its just not the way you want to communicate......choices again......it may be fine just the way it is..how about texting or emailing more?

[7NKI]

I also despise talking on the phone to almost everyone- with the sole exception being my mother, who has Parkinson's. One of her symptoms is when her meds ARE working she is plagued by involuntary movement (too much of that initiation dopamine- I wish she could loan me some!), and I become so distracted by her movements I am almost paralyzed with it. On the phone, however, I can't see her literally twirling her entire body in circles on the floor, therefore we can have the deeply emotional and spiritual conversations that we both so love. Everyone else, however, especially any calls of an "official" nature (making appointments, calling my dr or psychiatrist, boss, pharmacy, insurance company, even friends!) send me into a physical panic and a mental coma- just this morning I became physically ill and had an anxiety attack for the next 45 minutes when I tried to call my insurance company to check on the status of the $1300 reimbursement check they owe me that is overdue (and that I desperately need!). for a few days each month I take a 'medication vacation' from my Adderall because if I don't take a 'vacation' it only remains effective for a wk or two : ( During these 'vacations' phone calls (as well as almost everything else) becomes an impossibility for me, unless I am prepared to try to hold a coherent conversation whilst having a panic attack. Also, every friend and family member I know who has adult ADHD has the same 'phobia' of the phone! I never knew this until I was diagnosed and began 'confessing' some of my symptoms to friends and family (i.e. "You know how I never return your calls and always text instead? there's a reason for that...") and was shocked to learn that several of them also secretly suffer from ADHD and have similar (if not identical!) obstacles in their daily functioning! which of course has led me to wonder; why are we so ashamed of these things? why do we think we should be able to just 'get over' a debilitating mental illness?

[wishful2468]

i have add and i have no idea if thats the reason but i go out of my way to not have to make calls they feel awkward it kinda freaks me out i can text fine but calling and video chats freak me out. Though usually if i do pick up i can keep up the conversation and with friends sometimes it even stops feeling weird.

[BatsAndButterflies]

I completely understand! I hate talking on the phone with a passion. One on one conversations are difficult enough because they don't leave any room for zoning out and junk, but phone conversations are even worse when you can't use facial expressions or anything and have to be completely focused. SUCH A PAIN.

[theloner]

I don't like being on the phone for more than 30 min, I start to get to get that edgy feeling

[Perna]

Hi, hooMeye11, welcome to PsychCentral (PC). If I am going to call someone on the phone, I write out a little "speech" first. If someone calls me, I take notes while they are talking so I can remember their name, what they want, etc. Taking notes helps me stay better focused on the conversation instead of my own fears and problems.

[gma45]

I have difficulty talking on the phone, I go to make a call and I just kinda freeze! Then change mind and don't make the call. My friend has caught on and says to me oh you are answering the phone today that is good I was starting to worry. I am so Bad!

[RonPSH]

I rarely talk on the phone anymore. I text instead. That way I don't have to keep a conversation going and also I can share something when it's alive in me and not wait for the person to be able to talk on the phone.

To be on the phone long, it has to be an intimate sharing. Small talk doesn't keep me engaged at all.

Ron

[Ycart]

I hate it too! Then go figure i take a phone job...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk fiverr.com/adnagam

...I make a fool out of myself on the phone. I can't see whats going on with the other person...to the other person it seems I'm not listening but without visual cues my mind races even more and I have completed the conversation already in my head and my mouth tries to catch up and I butt in constantly.
I walk around all over the house trying to do more things than I normally would...my ear gets really sore...squashed from holding the damn phone hard against my head. I can't wait for it to end...and I jump out of my skin whenever it rings because adhd makes me stupid jumpy because I am always in another world.
phones are a pain in my arse!
it's ok on the phone with people who like me no matter what...I can be eccentric self.

...that above Ycart is amusing yep

[coko4real29]

Originally Posted by hooMeye11

I honestly cannot talk on the phone. I hate it because it is so frustrating for me to try and keep up with a conversation. It is so much more difficult for me to listen to what the other person is saying. I am always thonking of something else, but sometime I am thinking of what my response should be or what I would say next but by then I usually dorfet or am already on a new topic in my h ea d. Its so odd, and no one seems to understand, I'm not even sure if anyone believes me. What should I do?

I can so relate when Iam talking on the phone my mind be thinking about other things that the person not talking about and i cant focus and I get bored fast

[clego-anime]

Originally Posted by hooMeye11

I honestly cannot talk on the phone. I hate it because it is so frustrating for me to try and keep up with a conversation. It is so much more difficult for me to listen to what the other person is saying. I am always thonking of something else, but sometime I am thinking of what my response should be or what I would say next but by then I usually dorfet or am already on a new topic in my h ea d. Its so odd, and no one seems to understand, I'm not even sure if anyone believes me. What should I do?

ADHD runs in my family both my brothers have been diagnosed with ADHD and have been on meds and even though myself mother or sister has been formally diagnosed it is believe we have it i cant say for my sister but the rest of us cant stand talking on the phone. it scares me to talk on the phone some times. face to face im extremely chatty on the phone i tend to just say yeah and ok a lot that it. i really couldn't tell you what to so but i think it may be normal for some one with ADHD

[ADDithers]

Lol phone calls suck. I haven't answered a phone call in ages (besides my immediate family) - if the caller wants to talk to me bad enough they'll leave a message - sometimes I delete the message without even listening to it - depending on who it is of course - if I want to return the call I do it when I have the right mindset to do it- usually in my parked car or some other private place where I won't be disturbed... I cannot multi-task - but I sure can multi-slack

[LibertyBelle]

I can't stand voice mail. My message is very long series of beeps intended to confuse the caller, it ends with text to speech saying "don't leave a message, send a text".

[Polykronic]

I thought this was just an odd quirk of mine! I do better on Skype, but I hate phone calls. Thankfully most people know I'll answer right away to a text message, but it may take days if they wait for a call back.

[Harley47]

Mine isn't related to ADD, but I loathe talking on the phone with almost everyone save for my girlfriend and family. It's...just strange to me. I can do it with no problems, it just feels odd to me.

[lancetrot]

Practice bringing up casual conversations and when you are on the phone just do the same thing, add up just little ice breaker conversations like wuts up? or wut have you been up 2 l8ly? you know little stuff you can start from and most likely it will bring up another topic.

[gocyndygo]

Originally Posted by hooMeye11

I honestly cannot talk on the phone. I hate it because it is so frustrating for me to try and keep up with a conversation. It is so much more difficult for me to listen to what the other person is saying. I am always thonking of something else, but sometime I am thinking of what my response should be or what I would say next but by then I usually dorfet or am already on a new topic in my h ea d. Its so odd, and no one seems to understand, I'm not even sure if anyone believes me. What should I do?

Did you ever consider getting tested to see if you have an auditory processing disorder? Many people with ADD have a problem with processing words, but its not actually a hearing problem. These people also have a hard time talking on the phone. They have trouble "hearing" some words, so they fill in what they think is being said, which can make for interesting conversation.