For people with social anxiety, making a phone call can be really tough.
In today’s story, a man shares that his girlfriend is experiencing extreme phone anxiety and is putting all the responsibility on him to make an important phone call.
He doesn’t want to call for her, but he also wonders if he’s wrong for not helping her out by making the phone call.
Read the story below for the full details.
My (30M) partner (29F) has phone anxiety and executive dysfunction.
A lot of the time, I need to be on top of things like bills, coordinating repairs, etc.
I’ve more or less accepted that.
His GF has been unemployed for nearly two years.
Without revealing where we live, she’s been unemployed for nearly two years and has been on social services payments this whole time.
I’ve been (and still am) working full time.
She has a fair chunk of savings from when she did work, and we currently live with my parents.
So there aren’t many household expenses at the moment, though obviously she doesn’t get much income.
Before leaving for vacation, he reminded her to notify social services.
Recently, we went on a long vacation.
And before doing so, I told her that she should notify social services that she would be leaving the country as they would have to pause her payments until she returns.
She didn’t notify them, and now they received an internal call.
Four weeks into vacation, she gets an international call from them which she missed, and a notification that she now owes them money.
So obviously, she didn’t do that.
I kept my mouth shut since scolding her wouldn’t really do anything.
Just need to get it sorted out when we return.
She told him she was anxious to make the call.
Now, two weeks after we’re back, she comes in while I’m working from home, saying she’s too anxious to call them and get it sorted out.
I offer to be there on hold with her, since I still need to work.
She says I could call them on my behalf when I’m on lunch break.
He refused to do it for her, and now she’s calling him selfish.
I refuse, because these calls take a notoriously long time, and would almost definitely eat into my work hours as well.
She’s now calling me selfish and the AH for refusing.
I asked after finishing work if she called.
She hasn’t answered, just saying, “Why does it matter to you?”
AITA?
She really needs to just dial the number!
Let’s find out what others have to say about this on Reddit.
Here’s a valid point from this user.
This person is curious about why he’s with his girlfriend.
It’s not his job to babysit her, says this person.
This person gives sound advice.
Finally, here’s a comment from someone with phone anxiety.
He needs to stop enabling her.
If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.
