Walkie-Talkie work phobia. So lame, yet so real.

[PhantomPod]

I just got a job at the store Target, during the holidays. We have to use these walkie-talkies to communicate with other departments in the store and to answer questions customers might have. And that walkie-talkie is going to cause me to have a fucking panic attack.

I've only worked three days now and I want to quit already. I can't handle it. When they call my department over the walkie-talkie I keep ignoring it hoping that someone else from my department or from a close-by department will answer the call. Then I feel all paranoid like someone is testing me and is watching me because they know that I'm ignoring the calls.

One time that I actually did answer over the walkie-talkie, I didn't use "proper" walkie-talkie talk or something, and the girl on the other end was near-by and she came up to me and was a bitch and was like, "you shouldn't say that over the walkie-talkie." And then I felt like crap and got all red and my voice was all shaky and I felt like I was about to burst into tears, because this girl had just been "mean" to me or whatever the hell.

In my head I know that it seems so stupid to be so terrified of a little walkie-talkie, but it's seriously going to cause me to have some sort of panic attack. I can barely concentrate at work because I'm so obsessed with praying that the damn thing doesn't call my department and I won't have to use it at all.

 

[Sacrament]

Practice makes perfect. Just practice it at home and you'll get better. I started working recently and it's been hard, but it makes you feel proud of yourself when you get the hang of it, and trust me, every single day is a battle, every single day my skin is red and flushed, my heart races and my body sweats.

You have to do what you have to do.

 

[PhantomPod]

Yeah, that's what I've been figuring, but I feel like I can't even make myself talk over the thing. I can't stop avoiding it even though I know that I should just grow some balls and practice talking over this walkie-talkie. Ahhh, it's so frustrating. It makes me feel so weak not being able to use it.

During my lunch break the other day, another girl that I work with told me to tell this other lady we work with when I was back from my break. As in, she said I should call her over the walkie-talkie to let her know I was back. Me being the nervous idiot that I am, when I was done with my break I walked around looking for this lady (I didn't actually know who she was and I was walking around looking at people's name tags) so that I could tell her to her face instead of having to use the walkie-talkie.

When a customer asks us where something is and we don't know, we're supposed to call over the walkie-talkie and ask our co-workers if they know where this item is. The other day a customer asked me if there was anymore of an item and instead of calling the backroom, like I'm supposed to, to find out, I just told her no and that all we had was what was on the shelf.

This is causing me so much anxiety. I feel like I can't deal.

I mean, I guess the job is somewhat perfect for a person so shy, as the only talking it requires is over that walkie-talkie, or when a customer asks a question. And for the most part of my work shift I just walk around folding clothes and fixing the clothes on the hangers and not having to talk to anyone.

 

[smyth]

i had this problem when i worked on a building site, i must agree its very nerve wracking using them things! i found it was best to rehearse what u are about to say into the walkie tlkie in ur head a few times then take a deep breath and then say your piece. id say it gets a little easier but i was always nervous of saying the wrong thing and every1 with a walkie talkie hearing me lol.

 

[rainstreet]

yeah, i've had jobs where i had to use a mobile radio. it sucks but you get used to it. don't think about the thousands of listeners out there.

 

[Lost Girl]

Honestly, I would have quit D: