Today I had to call a restaurant to make a reservation for Saturday. The call lasted all of three minutes, but to me it felt like an hour.
I know some people will think, “It’s just a phone call.” But if you’re autistic or deal with anxiety, it often isn’t just a phone call.
For me, talking isn’t even the hardest part. It’s everything that comes with it.
What if they have one of those voices that ears can’t stand and my brain just can’t process? (No offense to Steve Urkel… or Lord Voldemort 😆)
What if they ask me a question I wasn’t mentally prepared for?
My autistic brain processes spoken information a little more slowly than a neurotypical person’s, so when I’m caught off guard, my stomach instantly tightens and my brain goes, “Abort mission! Abort mission!”
Meanwhile, the poor restaurant employee is probably thinking, “Why did she pause for five seconds before answering how many people are in her party?”
The reservation gets made. Everything is fine. But my brain acts like I just completed an Olympic event.
If phone calls make you feel the same way… you’re not alone.
Autistic Female's Blog 