I have a few comparitively minor phone issues of my own, and frequently had to make phone calls at work on my boss's behest where I had only the vaguest sense of what I was talking about. I've always envied people around me, or on TV, who can just pick up a phone, dial, and start talking. I need to sit and think about it for five minutes!
I don't know if this will help you at all, but it helped me a lot when I finally figured out that the person picking up the phone on the other end of the line was going to be an expert. I might stumble through my rehearsed opening sentence, but they took over the conversation from there. I didn't know the right questions to ask, but they did. It was their job to help me accomplish my business for their company's benefit as well as mine. And the same thing holds true when I deal privately with credit card companies and so forth, although it's never going to be, you know, fun. *makes face*
Side note: I took medication for job stress for a while that incidentally treated my moderate social anxiety, and I learned a lot about how reality and my demons differed. But I still have to fight the demons. Like you said, stuff simmers for decades. All best wishes for you. :-)
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I have a few comparitively minor phone issues of my own, and frequently had to make phone calls at work on my boss's behest where I had only the vaguest sense of what I was talking about. I've always envied people around me, or on TV, who can just pick up a phone, dial, and start talking. I need to sit and think about it for five minutes!
I don't know if this will help you at all, but it helped me a lot when I finally figured out that the person picking up the phone on the other end of the line was going to be an expert. I might stumble through my rehearsed opening sentence, but they took over the conversation from there. I didn't know the right questions to ask, but they did. It was their job to help me accomplish my business for their company's benefit as well as mine. And the same thing holds true when I deal privately with credit card companies and so forth, although it's never going to be, you know, fun. *makes face*
Side note: I took medication for job stress for a while that incidentally treated my moderate social anxiety, and I learned a lot about how reality and my demons differed. But I still have to fight the demons. Like you said, stuff simmers for decades. All best wishes for you. :-)