An oh-so-simple phone call

[neep]

Hello I see at the top of the page this is my first visit here since 2017. Does anyone else find this thing ebbs and flows? You drag yourself into some semblance of normal functional life, then sink right back to where you started.

So this is where I am right now. I'm trying to make a DR's appointment, and I can't. I'm back at the stage where I can't even make a simple phone call to make an appointment. I don't even know if I need an appointment! I think that's where some of the anxiety is coming in. Our surgery is so understaffed that you have to tell the receptionist your symptoms first, then in almost all cases they will only give you a phone appointment. A phone appointment. I'm half-dead just trying to call reception.

My thought process is this: I know I get breathless and can't speak (or breathe) when I'm anxious on the phone. I don't want the receptionist thinking this is an anxiety issue, so I don't want the anxiety to come out when I'm speaking.

My medical worry is that I had a heart palpitation at the weekend (while peacefully sitting knitting), and nearly passed out. It wasn't an anxious palpitation, but the kind of little fluttery spasm thing that sometimes makes you cough (if anyone else gets them?). But I've never had the passing out thing before. Even when I told my mum about it she shrugged it off as anxiety. It wasn't, I know the difference.

I made the call, several times, and when I finally got through, by the time I got through all the options my heart was hammering so badly that I had to hang up. My inner nihilist is beginning to say 'have the heart attack, it's just easier'.

[Dougella]

Can you write down what you want to say before you call? That can sometimes help so you don't forget when you're on the phone. Also the receptionist only really needs to know a simple, broad description of what you need an appointment for so if you say "heart palpitations and fainting" that should be enough.

Good luck! It's really hard now we have to call first (does your surgery have an online option for making appointments? You could always look into that just incase).

[Sisyphus]

Hi neep,

I get that dicky ticker thing that makes me cough. I have had it since I was young and while uncomfortable it hasn't killed me yet. Sometimes my heart stops for a second or two and that gets my attention.

The doctor situation is a nightmare here too. There is no way to get an appointment except for the same day, after a phone consultation, and then it is always in an hour so you have to drop everything and run.

There are some things I should get looked at but without booking a day off in advance it just doesn't work.

[Hopeforme]

Is it because your SA around phone calls is really bad right now? My SA around phone calls was horrendous at one point - it has got better now.

[arrested_development]

Originally Posted by neep

Does anyone else find this thing ebbs and flows? You drag yourself into some semblance of normal functional life, then sink right back to where you started.

Like snakes and ladders. I really blame the weather for my lack of motivation lately.

And I can phone or do things if needed but always have trouble breathing and being relaxed any time I need to speak and it just rattles me when it goes wrong. It's only gotten worse with age. Sometimes interactions go fine, sometimes I'm stumbling all over and just want to cry. But breathing, yeah. I might be subconsciouly holding my breath or something. I know I hold it when I walk past people.

[biscuits]

- Doodling when I'm on the phone helps me.
- Closing my eyes and mentally rehearsing what I'm going to say.
- make a list of reasons why you need to make the call and look at it
- Being firm with the anxiety "I am going to make this call because it's for my health," and repeating that phrase to yourself.
- Breaking up the process into a tick list of things to get through to make it to the end and ticking them off e.g.
Pick up the phone (tick)
Dial the number (tick)
and so on

It can help to think about the role of the receptionist too. The receptionists are part of the triage process, that's why they ask what it's regarding - so the GP/nurse can judge if they need to call someone quickly or if they can wait a little longer. The receptionist might need to say that a person needs to go to A&E or urgent care rather than waiting a few hours for the GP to call back e.g. a broken bone or a really high temperature in a child.

Hope you're able to make the call. You've got this!

[BFG_]

^ so my response to the receptionist of " are you a doctor? No? Then it's none of you're business" isn't the right one then?

[biscuits]

BFG!!

You could maybe say, "I'd prefer to just tell the doctor/nurse if that's okay."

A lot of people naturally find it intrusive and/or embarrassing.

[Mr. Nobody]

Originally Posted by neep

I'm trying to make a DR's appointment, and I can't. I'm back at the stage where I can't even make a simple phone call to make an appointment. I know I get breathless and can't speak (or breathe) when I'm anxious on the phone. I don't want the receptionist thinking this is an anxiety issue, so I don't want the anxiety to come out when I'm speaking.

bit of a strange thought, but, could you possibly type out what you want to say on a PC programme, like outlook or whatever,,
perhaps even having options of different things to say that could occur depending on their questions,

then simply click on the speech and click the option on your computer where the PC generates speech from your text?

this would possibly be a bit of an odd situation, but it could do the job,
for some people this would be their primary means of communicating,

check out the options on Outlook or excel or something,
maybe google has it's own online version of this text-to-speech programme?

[horseblanket]

Good luck makig thephone call

sorry somethig wrong with key board tonight