The following post discusses what it is like for people with Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) when they are talking on the telephone and the difficulties it can cause them.
Article link: Telephone Difficulties with Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome If you hate the phone, You’re Not Alone, (Updated March 07, 2015.)
What difficulties does dealing with telephone calls and conversations cause you?
Does it zap your battery power?, plus make you weak and tired like you’ve walked 1/2 a mile and need to rest for half an hour. (if a call is as long as 30 -60 minutes it will put me to sleep for sure for about 2 1/2 hours)
Do you find it difficult to focus on the conversation because of your brain fog, or the noises coming from outside are distracting you? (I usually can’t hear properly because of background noise and do have problems understanding what people are saying, especially if they have strong accents/dialects, talk too fast or plainly just mumble)
Were you already doing 2 tasks and the phone call wasn’t one of them so in essence you performed 3 tasks and not just 2? (With me the call usually wipes me out if it’s a long one, longer than 10 minutes, and the other 2 tasks will be left undone or half finished)
Do you have problems understanding what is being said or remembering what is being said. When you hang up can you remember what the call was about 30 minutes later? (I usually can’t)
Does the physical activity of actually holding the phone itself cause you pain and discomfort at the time of the call? Can you feel the aching in your arms and wrists later on from holding the phone for so long. (I must admist I have poor arm strength and arthralgia in my handa, so my arms and hands do hurt afterwards)
Do you have problems recalling information, forgetting what you’re saying and names of people you know because of the fog when talking on the phone? (I know this happens all the time and not just when on the phone)
Please tell us how ‘using a telephone’ affects you and how you work your way around the difficulties it causes you as a Fibro + CFS patient in the reply/comment box.
Article from – about health – chronicfatigue.about.com
Related posts:
Re-blog from blogger Hope in Pain :- fighting off tiredness or why i dont answer the phone
Re-blog from blogger Diary of a Fibro Foggy :- social media and fibromyalgia
Updated May 2017
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My very big world shrunk to a small one in 1999. I had the most horrible flu that never got better. With tremendous support from my husband and family, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia within 6 months of my first episode. Through years of ups and downs (and lots of medication cocktails) I have lived the spectrum of great and horrible days/weeks/months over the past 17 years.
The telephone was once my friend. I LOVED talking endlessly to friends and family about anything and everything. I am no longer a fan of this mode of technology. Thankfully, most people genuinely understand my plight. There are people, however, who have counted on me for support over the years
and truly feel the need to talk to me for a very long time on the phone. I care deeply for these people so I feel guilty because I believe they really need my support. But they know how taxing these conversations are for me. This is an internal battle I struggle with often. I would be interested to hear other
Fibromyalgia sufferers perspective on this issue.
I understand Jodi.
I can’t stand the weight of holding the phone, and thenthere’s the factor that I can’t hear it properly if on speaker phone because background noise is always amplified… not to mention the persistent tinnitus in my left ear 😮
I do feel noise hypersensitivity has a lot to do with mine 🙂
I have had family members and friends complain for years because I never answer my phone, or even worse… Skype! Video calling when feeling fatigued and looking like death warmed up is not an option!!
If only they’d understood back then, luckily and thankfully the people that matter in my life all understand now, well almost 🙂
Life with #chronicillness #chronicpain #JHS #fibro #mentalhealth +more has bore me many a sceptic this last 20yrs but I am surviving it.
Wishing you wellness and less pain
Carole Sian 🙂