Phone phobia?

Question

Since I was little, I have always had a stutter, it has got better over the years, now its more of mental blocking (when I want to say a word, but cant, so I pick another one that I can say lol) I havent told anyone about this problem, and its seemed to have gone unnoticed.. But I've recently landed a new job in sales, and in a few weeks I will be trained using the phone for the company. I have a fear of phones, I think its due to the fact I get the mental block and I dont want to sound stupid, I can talk to people I know, but when it comes to picking the phone up to someone new, I start shaking with nerves!
Anyone else have this problem? or if anyone has some useful tips to keep the nerves at bay, would be grately appreciated :)

Answer 1

I just developed this about two years ago. It's medical and mental. I was sent to an ear nose throat guy. He did a camera down my throat and said I had bowed vocal cords and spastic disphonia. I've noticed anxiety and certain med.'s increase the problem. He sent me to a speech therapist. She also did a camera type thing and said in addition to the two things I mentioned, I had muscle tension dysphonia. That's from getting all phsyked up about studdering. Some days are worse than others. Sometimes the studder is just a breaking in the word comming from the muscles in my throat, sometimes it's an actual studder in the way I form a word on the end of my toungue. Sometimes they do botox in your throat to increase the vibrations so you'll sound normal, but you still have to deal with the nervous induced studder. Talk to your G.P. about going to an E.N.T., speech therepist and talk to a councler or pastor. Mine is improving only 2 months into therapy. Don't take Soma, ultram or anything like that. It makes it worse. You should get some xnax or ativan at least for now to at least mask the problem until you get past your 1st 90 days of your new job. It's o.k. to do that as long as you still plan to get to the core of the problem. Avoid clearing your throat, caffiene, nicotine, and bad relationships that make you lose sleep. If you're getting migraines with this and have any vertigo with it at all, see a neurologist. Also, do not take Neurontin!!!! No Bu Spar or Paxel either. If you're using an abuteral inhaler too much, call the athsma network to better manage your athsma. Abuteral is a major trigger for me and others. It sucks, but you'll get through it. They say when you fall off a horse, the only way to get rid of the fear is to get right back on. Answer the phone, even solicitors. Talk, Talk Talk. Don't let fear run you. That's the enemy messing with you because you probley have good important things to say to people. Talk to God about it. He gave you those vocal cords in the first place. Keep your sense of humor. I make jokes and say I have an alcoholic alter with terrets syndrome and she talks funny. I know that's saddistic, but it brakes the ice and I talk better.

Answer 2

I have the same exact problem! It sucks.. but it's better now... it was worse when i was a kid having to do speech therapy and stuff for stuttering and not being able to speak some words like you said. It's just like, you can hear the word in your head but your voice completely fails you. But today it's not that bad. I only get like that when I'm extremely nervous. And I have a fear with phones too, i hate calling people and I freak out everytime I even think about using the phone. But if people call me it's no big deal. Just the other way around makes me go insane. I don't know why but it's not fun. But the more I think about it the worse my nerves get so I try to calm myself down a few minutes before I go use the phone and make sure i'm occupying myself with like a pencil and paper while i'm talking on the phone so I won't start thinking about freaking out which will just in turn make me get like that.

Hope everything goes well with your job!

Answer 3

The Stuttering Foundation has a great brochure with tips for talking on the phone. Visit their web site at www.stutteringhelp.org and click on "Brochures for All Ages" and look for it. You can read it online or download it and print it out. You might also consider getting their book "Self Therapy for the Stutterer" as that book helped several of my uncles and cousins who used to stutter.

Answer 4

I can only think of one thing besides another job. (Because you are in the wrong seat.) But remember that the person on the phone has no way to know how you feel or that you used to stutter. They are thinking about themselves, not you.

Answer 5

Your voice on the phone actually sound like your normal voice. Only that we can't hear our own voices throught our ears, we can only hear from our bones leading to the ear so if you think that your voice sounds different, it actually isn't. Awkward silences are scary sometimes, I know but still, the silences you hear are because they need to move the signals from your mobile to the station and to the caller's. So awkward silences may also occur even when you are talking on the phone sometimes.

Answer 6

The Stuttering Foundation is your best source for tips to help with stuttering!

Answer 7

i hate talking to people over the phone myself, though i'm not so sure as to why seeing as i really enjoy talking to the exact same people in person or online.

Answer 8

After you have done it for a year or so it'll come pretty smoothly to ya.