Phone calls dread

This is a major issue for me and has been for many years. Like you I think the problem is getting worse the older I get. Nowadays I never answer calls and my mobile is used mainly for texts from banks etc.

The noise of a phone ringing, even if it isn't my own, immediately sends me into panic mode.

The only person I can speak to on the phone these days is my mum. Even then the calls are only when absolutely necessary, short and to the point. I would never dream of phoning anyone for a chat.

I no longer work but when I did work in offices I had major issues trying to cope with phones. The sensory impact of the ringing noise was a big problem for me. It would also cause a lot of issues with colleagues, as they perceived that I didn't take my fair share of answering calls. If I did try to take a message for someone else I would get so flustered that I would get it completely wrong and forget to ask for any contact details or even a name. 

If it is something really simple like making an appointment I can usually cope, as long as I prepare in advance what to say and the call goes exactly to plan. However in real life calls rarely go to plan and then I flounder. I can go mute, get angry or just say yes to anything in order to end the call as quickly as possible.

I struggle to take in and process what the other person is saying. Often things have to be repeated so many times, which is stressful in itself. Then I don't respond in an appropriate way and at the appropriate time. Unless it is something I have scripted in advance I can't think what to say.

I find that I can handle video calls better than phone calls. I think it helps having some visual clues to what the other person is saying. I tend to look at the mouth (never the eyes  ). I think that makes it slightly easier to process what the other person is saying, but I still struggle with being able to reply in the same way as on the phone.

I now avoid phone calls. I much prefer to use email, text or live chat. Even snail mail is a better option. In most cases I can get by with a combination of email and live chat, as long as I have a working internet connection.

The worst organisations for insisting on phone are health services, such as GPs and mental health services. Those are precisely the types of organisations that should be the most willing to provide alternative methods as a reasonable adjustment. However in my experience they are not. Even when I've emailed them and explained they respond either by calling me or sending me an email asking me to call them If I can't phone then I can't access the service.

This is a major issue for me and has been for many years. Like you I think the problem is getting worse the older I get. Nowadays I never answer calls and my mobile is used mainly for texts from banks etc.

The noise of a phone ringing, even if it isn't my own, immediately sends me into panic mode.

The only person I can speak to on the phone these days is my mum. Even then the calls are only when absolutely necessary, short and to the point. I would never dream of phoning anyone for a chat.

I no longer work but when I did work in offices I had major issues trying to cope with phones. The sensory impact of the ringing noise was a big problem for me. It would also cause a lot of issues with colleagues, as they perceived that I didn't take my fair share of answering calls. If I did try to take a message for someone else I would get so flustered that I would get it completely wrong and forget to ask for any contact details or even a name. 

If it is something really simple like making an appointment I can usually cope, as long as I prepare in advance what to say and the call goes exactly to plan. However in real life calls rarely go to plan and then I flounder. I can go mute, get angry or just say yes to anything in order to end the call as quickly as possible.

I struggle to take in and process what the other person is saying. Often things have to be repeated so many times, which is stressful in itself. Then I don't respond in an appropriate way and at the appropriate time. Unless it is something I have scripted in advance I can't think what to say.

I find that I can handle video calls better than phone calls. I think it helps having some visual clues to what the other person is saying. I tend to look at the mouth (never the eyes  ). I think that makes it slightly easier to process what the other person is saying, but I still struggle with being able to reply in the same way as on the phone.

I now avoid phone calls. I much prefer to use email, text or live chat. Even snail mail is a better option. In most cases I can get by with a combination of email and live chat, as long as I have a working internet connection.

The worst organisations for insisting on phone are health services, such as GPs and mental health services. Those are precisely the types of organisations that should be the most willing to provide alternative methods as a reasonable adjustment. However in my experience they are not. Even when I've emailed them and explained they respond either by calling me or sending me an email asking me to call them If I can't phone then I can't access the service.