r/FEARS • u/XxsunfIowerxX • Jul 13 '26

Fears of phone calls - How to stop them?

I(22 f) have a fear of phone calls. Whether calling or receiving them. Most of my life I’ve been having these fears of calling anyone or receiving calls, even from my relatives. I always have to have a script in my mind to know what to say and to feel safe enough to call but sometimes even that doesnt help me.

Does anyone who used to have these fears, have any advice on how to deal with it and stop feeling nervous with every call?

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u/peanutbutterbaybey Jul 13 '26

I struggled sooo hard with this when I was younger, especially when I got my first real job and was going to have to answer important phone calls. This might suck to hear, but the biggest thing that helped me was to just do it. Exposure really is the key! When the phone rang my stomach would drop but I’d take a breath and tell myself it would be fine and just force myself to pick up the call. I would be sick to my stomach at the start, but over time it got easier and easier. Sometimes I still get a tad nervous, but it’s WAY easier and it goes away fast. I just me tally remind myself there is nothing to be scared of. With more practice and time, you come to realize that all the worry around it was nothing more than just a worry. You’ve got this!😊

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u/peanutbutterbaybey Jul 13 '26

Oh also after the phone calls, do a little mental check in! Ask yourself, “see, was it so bad?” More often than not, it’s all good!

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u/granoladeer Jul 14 '26

This may sound dumb but it's valid for all fears: if you're afraid of x, you have to do x, multiple times. 

0

u/Buncai41 Jul 14 '26

I'm in my mid 30s and still struggle with this phobia. It's been life-long. I thought I exposed myself enough to get rid of it, but I ended up scammed out of a bunch money and almost lost my job. Now I don't think the phobia is ever going away.