Fear of raising my voice

[Falkor]

Hi you all

I felt invisible at work (internship), you know why? Even though it was my own fault.

..... I could not raise my voice literally. Never said even good morning, because I was too terrified to speak, you could consider me having a speaking fear in work & school.

So once I never speak, nobody would notice me after time goes by.

Dreading the place, eventually don't visit anymore, then I'm fired.

:kickingmyself:

any tips & advice ?

 

[Silatuyok]

This sounds like it could be selective mutism. I get it in social situations, then I panic. I'm sure there are therapies out there to help those with selective mutism, though I don't know of any offhand. I find that if I prepare myself with things to say ahead of time, then I am less likely to freeze and not be able to think or speak.

 

[GraybeardGhost]

That happens to me sometimes. Once, in a restaurant, I waited over an hour for service because the waitress was apparently blind to my presence, and I couldn't speak up to get her attention. She wasn't busy; she was just ignoring me. I actually had to look at my reflection in the window to see if I was still there. Finally, I left, still hungry. It used to be one of my favorite places, but since that episode, I've never gone back.

If only I'd been able to open my mouth, things might have been very different. :sad:

 

[SilentAndShy]

I know how you feel mate.

When I started one of my last jobs which was a graduate job (wasn't exactly what I wanted to do but it tied in with some of my skills), I struggled to mix in with my other work colleagues. It was a big office floor plan. I worked in a team of three and I barely said anything.

In the mornings, I'd walk in and mumble Good Morning and the few people who heard it would say it back.

Best advice I would give is, when you walk in and you see someone you know, smile and say good morning. Even if you don't mean it.

That's what I would do if I had another go. Once you start doing it then you'll feel abit more comfortable

 

[PhantomPod]

I'm the same. I pretty much don't speak unless spoken too. When i walk into work i can't even say "good morning" to the women at the front desk first. I always wait til she says it first.

If I hear my coworkers around me asking questions and discussing a topic that I know the answer to, I never speak up and tell them the answer. Sometimes I need to be on conference calls at work and when I know that there's a part where I will have to talk, my heart will start beating a mile a minute and my voice will get very shaky. It's awful.