Do you struggle on the phone?

[hiddenhome2]

I've had a terrible day

First, I had to ring the child support people to set up an application with the new agency who will collect the child support for me - hopefully. It took nearly an hour and I did it on my iPhone with loudspeaker on. I managed, but it was a wee bit of a struggle. I could hear and understand the woman fairly well.

Then, just now I've had to phone the mobile phone people to sort out my son's upgrade. It all went wrong and I couldn't figure out the options menu at all. Had a dicky fit and yelled and screamed

I managed to get through to a human being after pressing the options for 'phone stolen'. I could barely hear or understand the chap and didn't manage well, but got there in the end after a fashion. I managed to keep calm and get through it.

My brain doesn't seem to be wired to my ears

I can hear people talking, but what I hear is often gobbledygook. I have this at work on the landline too. I had my hearing tested and it came back fine.

I can usually manage face to face unless it's instructions, in which case I have to write everything down.

I hate making calls and answering the phone. I feel stressed and anxious.

I avoid household admin because of this. It's just draining and I worry about screwing up.

Anybody else have this problem?

Me! If the person has a really clear accent and the line is great then I'll be OK. But otherwise I find it really hard to hear where one word stops and the next begins.

Like earlier I phoned about a faulty item I bought, they asked 'would you like a refund or replacement?' I heard something like 'would you like aree fundery play sment?' And my brain latches on to what I think is a word (fundery? Thundery maybe? What's that got to do with anything?) so even if I ask them to repeat it, I can't always understand the next time either.

And then there's the social anxiety associated with talking to a stranger. I can make and receive phone calls! but only if I have to- I will email, text or get someone else to do it if I can! (Or just not bother if it's a social type non essential call)

Nightmare unless I can speak to a human being (who speaks proper English) straight away.

Me too, I wouldnt even touch the phone as a child! I can manage too make important adulting phone calls now but I have to prepare myself and have silence in the room I am in.

Someone rang me on my mobile the other day and my voice was echoing back at me ! It was awful I didnt know when to speak or understand the woman at all.

Thank goodness for email and text !

Oops wrong "to" how did that happen.

My mum phones me from her car sometimes and I have to hang up, I can't work out where her voice is coming from and it makes me feel nauseous. I avoid the phone unless essential, and even then I put it off until it's beyond essential, apart from one friend who I only see in person about once a year but speak to on the phone more openly than I speak to anyone. To an extent though, I wanted to tell her something important recently and texted instead.

I hate talking on a mobile. Never know when to speak and butt in a lot.

My days of chatting on the phone are very much over.