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Text me. Don’t Call.
I get edgy when my phone rings out loud.
I have tried to probe why this happens, and if this happens to others too.
As it is, I am not alone.
They say that this condition is called Telephobia or Telephone Apprehension, and that there are many reasons for this social anxiety ‘disorder.’
Having thought long and hard, I suspect that mine stems from the sensory overload the phone’s sound brings. Ringtones, notifications, pings … all these sounds jolt me out of whatever stable keel I am on.
And this is where my anxieties come from.
Whenever my phone rings out loud unexpectedly, my instinctive reaction is a micro-jump that is imperceptible to the outside world. This micro jump is rapidly followed by an uptick in my heart rate, depending on the caller, time of day and whatever I have going on at that moment.
My first thought when I recover from this temporary state of mild shock is usually, “Oh, schucks … why did I leave this thing on.”
My next action is to mute the phone or watch it ring. This helps me to buy some time to:
a. Gather my thoughts about the incoming call, preparing myself for that conversation before engaging;
