Avoiding phone calls

Phone calls only focus on our voice. Other social cues are absent, making talking on the phone daunting.

• Anxious people may prefer texting, seeing it as a superior medium of expressive and intimate contact.
• Texting can give people a chance to think about their words but can potentially encourage the development of a different personality to their real-life self.
• Phone calls may also feel overwhelming because we feel the pressure of being someone else's sole focus.

Phone anxiety - or telephobia - is the fear and avoidance of phone conversations.

It is more than just disliking a phone. You may feel extremely nervous or anxious before, during and after the call. You may obsess or worry about what you will say. Physical symptoms include...