Mental Health-o-pedia
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11th April 2022
When you have Phone Anxiety
Written By: Samiha Raisa
“I am just one call text away”
Phone anxiety – or Telephobia – is the fear, reluctance, and avoidance of making and receiving phone calls.
It can be closely related to Social Anxiety Disorder, as “Telephobia cultivates fear of an awkward social interaction”, says Steve Mazza, a clinical psychologist at the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders.
Directory of phone anxiety
- Delaying making a call or entirely skipping it
- Feeling anxious all day if you’re anticipating a call
- Feeling immediate discomfort upon hearing the phone ring
- Getting someone else to call or pick up for you
- Keeping your phone on silent mode
- Letting the phone ring or debate whether to pick up or not
- Worrying over the conversation way after it ended
Dreading a phone call can produce Physical Symptoms, like-
❖ Increased heart rate
❖ Shortness of breath
❖ Perspiration
❖ Jitteriness
❖ Nausea
Some tips for coping with Phone Anxiety~
- Get an app that helps to track unregistered numbers
- Encourage others to send a text before they call
- List down the probable key points of a conversation beforehand
- Initiate the call or call back if picking up feels overwhelming
- Practice holding day-to-day chats with a trusted person
- Reward yourself after a successful call