Everybody should be required to have Caller ID

[JDRow]

I hate talking on the phone and I don't do it much, but I had to call my sister about something yesterday, and she hung up on me before I could get started. Twice. After that I had my girlfriend make the call and then give me the phone once my sister knew it was us. She was very apologetic, but I can't blame her. I don't think I'd wait for a while if nobody was talking on the other end of the line just in case it was a stutterer.

But if everybody had Caller ID that would make things much easier. Or at least if everybody who I might need to call had it.

[Roley]

I use caller ID for the reverse purpose. When I'm at home by myself and the phone rings, I look to see who's calling. If it's someone I'm comfortable with I answer. If it's someone I don't know or am not comfortable with, I don't answer and let voicemail take over. Then my wife makes the return call when she comes home. (I make VERY few calls myself.)

[Box of Clocks]

That is a good idea Roley. I live with my parents so I always let them answer the phone so it is not really an issue for me but if I was to be on my own that technique would probably work well.

[longwindingroad]

I hate talking on the phone and I don't do it much, but I had to call my sister about something yesterday, and she hung up on me before I could get started. Twice. After that I had my girlfriend make the call and then give me the phone once my sister knew it was us. She was very apologetic, but I can't blame her. I don't think I'd wait for a while if nobody was talking on the other end of the line just in case it was a stutterer.

But if everybody had Caller ID that would make things much easier. Or at least if everybody who I might need to call had it.




Since I'm an only child, my immediate family members consisted of my parents and that's it.

My family dynamics may not have been the norm, since we were so close and communicative about everything. Everything! We openly discussed all facets of my speech disorder, so I didn't encounter a phone snafu with them.

I have my phone number blocked by the phone company and that's my preference.

[Cammie]

We have caller id at our house also...i am the same way, if i don't feel like talking to a certain someone then i know in advance not to answer :)

[happy7117]

I use caller ID for the reverse purpose. When I'm at home by myself and the phone rings, I look to see who's calling. If it's someone I'm comfortable with I answer. If it's someone I don't know or am not comfortable with, I don't answer and let voicemail take over. Then my wife makes the return call when she comes home. (I make VERY few calls myself.)

Same with me. I look to see who's calling. If it's a number I don't recognize, I don't answer. If I recognize, I pick up.

[Roley]

It's all a matter of opinion. Go for all the phone conversations you want to if that's what you want.

[longwindingroad]

Well, I'm going to go agree (to an extent) with the OP, and totally disagree with those who screen their calls before answering.

I now make and receive phone calls every day with my business, and from being somebody 4 years ago who wouldn't answer a phone at all to somebody who now uses it without any thought, I can say from experience that this phone phobia can be overcome.

It used to be the "h" in hello that I had issues with. I just learned to deal with it, and now get stuck on other sounds instead lol.

For me, running away from things (ie screening phone calls) only enlarges the issue in one's head. So I face any issues I find I have head on, deal with, and move on.

To find another bigger issue awaiting me usually!



So many phone calls are nuisance calls, so I don't believe PWS who screen their calls are necessarily running away from their stuttering.

Invading your space either by a door-to-door salesman, or telemarketers, is an invasion of privacy.

How many people like to receive a telemarketing phone call, when they're having dinner? I think some people still receive a few phone calls from telemarketers, even though they're on a "no call" list.

[Praetor2150]

Phones and answering is such a pain, i feel your expierence. I also take the ill answer if im comfortable approach. Most of the time its tele marketers so, no problems there lol. Unfortunatly like this morning, i got a call from the yonkers police department asking me about my application so, some u can dodge others u just cant.

[stutteringgirl4]

I hate talking on the phone and I don't do it much, but I had to call my sister about something yesterday, and she hung up on me before I could get started. Twice. After that I had my girlfriend make the call and then give me the phone once my sister knew it was us. She was very apologetic, but I can't blame her. I don't think I'd wait for a while if nobody was talking on the other end of the line just in case it was a stutterer.

But if everybody had Caller ID that would make things much easier. Or at least if everybody who I might need to call had it.

Yeah that's why I hate talking on the phone, its pretty much the time pressure thing. You feel rushed to hurry up and say something before they hang up on you. Especially people you don't know cause they think the phone connection cut off in the middle of a conversation. This is true mostly in silent blocks which I have. It is VERY annoying.

[dookers]

I have called people before, struggled to make a sound and hung up, and then called then back and (assuming I manage to talk the next time) called them back and blamed it on the phone line being screwed up.

[AstralMystic]

I don't think I have ever been hung up on due to stuttering, (that I can recall anyways) but I myself have caller ID in the house. I don't screen calls and choose to ignore some due to my stutter, but I do often ignore calls that are obvious telemarketers, lol. I just don't like dealing with those annoying calls, whether I stutter or not. I share a place with a housemate, who gets slightly more phonecalls than I do, but is not often not home or sleeping. Thus I really have to answer the phone a lot. Personally I think that as a person who stutters I should be able to do common things like pick up my telephone, and ask who is calling, like anyone else would. As for calling other people, I'm not sure if they have caller ID or not, but luckily it seems with most personal calls, people are able to deduce that if they pick up the phone and hear a strange stuttering sound, it's me, lol.

[racer965]

I read a book called "self therapy for the stutterer", in the book they say that you should not be scared of the phone and that u should be comfortable answering the phone no matter who it is and to not be scared of the phone. This helped me alot as i work at a pizza shop and have to answer the phone multiple times in one day. The first initial contact is the hardest for me after I get that out i can talk pretty fluently the rest of the time. My point is, try to be on the phone as much as you can, it will help you feel more comfortable with it.

[Nemo]

I can say from experience that this phone phobia can be overcome.

I agree. Some intensive therapy courses offer anti-telephone phobia exercises. I found it extremely helpful, but it's much work and most of it has to be done yourself. You start with learning a fluency technique. Then you apply the technique on the telephone in gradual steps. You first start with a 'dead' phone, just getting used to holding the phone without feelings of fear. Next step is to say just a single word fluently with the aid of the technique, and thereafter a whole sentence. Then you start making real phone calls, phoning restaurants for instance, first asking a single fluent question and then immediately hanging up (not to worry about the listener!). In each case you tape your speech in order to evaluate later whether you've applied your technique correctly. Later you make real conversation, always recording it and analysing. So you gradually desensitise yourself from telephone-related tension and fear.

We did these exercises in our self-help group. Was quite fun, too. You don't have to phone just restaurants, you can also phone a friend or family member or anyone else. Big thing is to evaluate whether you've used your fluency technique correctly. That also helps to focus on something positive - your fluency technique rather than your stutter.

[grantM]

I guess the phone causes us to focus deeply on speech-based content and that for some of us causes more stuttering and associated anxiety?

[Dinasaur]

I use caller ID for the reverse purpose. When I'm at home by myself and the phone rings, I look to see who's calling. If it's someone I'm comfortable with I answer. If it's someone I don't know or am not comfortable with, I don't answer and let voicemail take over. Then my wife makes the return call when she comes home. (I make VERY few calls myself.)

i do that too!!!!! i feel really bad about it though. especially when my parents ask "blah blah blah called and they said no one answered. you were at home, why didnt you answer??"

[Alexandr]

I guess the phone - is not the thing, u should hate )
Sometimes my stuttering fade out, and phones turn into pleasure...
May be somebody would want to speak with russian guy by - welcome )

[Mooks]

Iv been thinking about calling random restraunts and businesses with a blocked phone number just to help out my speach. If I mess up, ya its embarassing, but its blocked so who cares?

do that too!!!!! i feel really bad about it though. especially when my parents ask "blah blah blah called and they said no one answered. you were at home, why didnt you answer??"

You got a cell phone right? Ask your parents once they ask you that question; "was it for me?" They say no then you reply "Thats why I didnt answer it"

[happy7117]

This might sound stupid, but what does it mean to screen a call??

[Nemo]

This might sound stupid, but what does it mean to screen a call??

As far as I know, it means checking who's calling. Some phones have small electronic screens showing the telephone number of the caller when the phone rings. Very handy for seeing who's calling IF you know the telephone numbers of friends and family. In this way you can avoid calls of strangers. Avoidance, of course, is not a good way of managing stuttering, as it increases speaking fears.

[emily445455]

This might sound stupid, but what does it mean to screen a call??

My parent's "screen" their calls, and they let it go to voicemail to see who it is and decide whether or not they want to pick up. That's when they had a land line, now they can just look at the # on their cell phones :)