# Anxiety Disorders > Social Anxiety Disorder >  >  Avoiding answering the door??

## Firefly09

Who don't like answering the door to the postman or in fact anyone? When the door bell rings, I'm scared to death.I almost go into a panic attack, I have shortness of breath and my heart beat races and tons of fear. As, I have no friends, so the person at the door is usually a saleman or someone asking for money and i'm really bad about saying "no" politley and I don't know how to handle people who are hard sell except for i feel like kicking their butt. I think this is because i am so shy and have a hard time sticking up for myself and lack social skills to deal with it civilly.

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## Frogger

Yep, I never answer the door. Either my parents do, or I ignore it.

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## JustAShadow

^ Same here!

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## Xmen

My anxiety spikes when I have to answer the door to a sells persons, and have to say *not interested*.

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## CaduceusGUILT

I always used to hide every time the door rang when I was little. I avoid answering unless I know I'm expecting something.

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## Antidote

My mum orders a billion things online so we're always getting deliveries. I usually ignore them and they get left at the post office to be picked up. Random / surprise visits make me flustered. I think it's extremely rude when people just drop by in general. A few times friends (when I had some) have done that and I pretended I was out because I couldn't face them without preparation.

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## mackemdezzy

never answer it myself ever ! it goes un-anwsered  :Mega Shock:

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## WintersTale

I hate answering it, but sometimes I have to.

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## Otherside

Yes. I kinda hide somewhere for several momments, going "please don't see me please don't see me..."

Thats on my worse anxiety days =/

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## charles

I use to be the same way but it does get better

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## VickieKitties

I'd never answer the door for anyone other than a very short list of friends and family, that's how you get abducted.

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## mightypillow

I don't like to answer the door. I hate the feeling of the unknown, even if I'm sure of the person behind the door. Plus, whenever the door bell rings I always happen to be in unflattering pajamas.

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## Winter Hill

I never answer the door unless I am expecting someone. I mean, I'm hardly ever in the house anyway, I work long days so by the time I get home, things have usually quietened down. But if someone knocks, I tend to hide in the back of the house and hope they go away. 

It comes from living in a house that had problems with bailiffs for a while (not my bailiffs, they were after a previous resident!) but they used to knock at all hours of the day and night, trying to get money or goods, and wouldn't take no for an answer when I used to tell them through the letterbox that I wasn't the person they were looking for, and would keep knocking for up to an hour. 

I never answer the phone either, unless I know the number that comes up on caller-ID and I know it's a friend or family. If a call is "withheld" or "unavailable" they don't get answered. I mean, why bother?

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## pam

I had guys from the Salvation Army coming over with a truck to take our sofa, chair, and cedar chest away the other day. I made my boyfriend come home early from work so he would be there too. (I'm 44 yo, btw). That way i don't have to converse much with them. I am a nervous wreck before they come too. 

I don't like people coming over. It feels a little invasive. I'd rather go to see them. But in this case, I'm old with a bad back and can't carry heavy furniture around!  ::): 

Next Monday our new furniture is coming, and again, I scheduled it for before my boyfriend leaves.

Oh yes, I rarely answer the phone too. It's a little like being caught off guard. But most of the time it's just a telemarketer anyway.

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## Chopin12

i do it with the phone.. my friend always calls early in the morning while im not awake yet.. then the fact that he keeps calling back makes me not want to answer at all. if he would just give me damn time id call back when im ready. -___-

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## WintersTale

What is the worst thing is when it is door to door salesmen. I hate trying to turn them down. 

Sometimes I have to be mean, which makes me feel shitty.

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## metamorphosis

> My anxiety spikes when I have to answer the door to a sells persons, and have to say *not interested*.



I always tell them "I'm just renting" or if it's for magazines etc. I get just get blunt and just say "not interested, thanks". If it's kids selling things for school, then I'll usually buy some cookies etc. Interestingly enough, I get really claustrophobic, even in my house. So, I usually keep the front door open during the day. It depresses me to feel shut in, with curtains drawn etc.

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## metamorphosis

> i do it with the phone.. my friend always calls early in the morning while im not awake yet.. then the fact that he keeps calling back makes me not want to answer at all. if he would just give me damn time id call back when im ready. -___-



I have a friend exactly like that. He just keeps fricking calling and leaving messages. The more he calls, I'm thinking, "f*ck you and now I really don't want to call you back" It's not over some emergency or anything.

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## ScottishWarrior

Sometimes when the buzzer goes in my flat I hide under the covers in my bed untill it stops then look out the window to see who it was. :doh:

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## Evo1114

When I hear somebody at the door (VERY, VERY rare), I will normally try to hide.  Pretend I'm not home.  Halloween is always the worst.  Haha.  Luckily my door is away from the street, so I'm pretty safe.  With that being said, I rarely get any visitors since I started living alone.  Last time someone was at my door was the FedEx guy and that was fine, since he had something I was excited for.   ::D: 

I'm the same with the phone.  Whenever it rings, I get extremely anxious, then when they leave a message, the anxiety doubles.  Doesn't matter who it is...I'm like afraid that they are going to be pissed that I didn't answer or something.

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## Chieve

normally i dont have a problem with answering the door for the post man, but if i am expecting a moms friend, pizza guy, or someone, i would much rather them answer it

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## kc1895

> Yes. I kinda hide somewhere for several momments, going "please don't see me please don't see me..."
> 
> Thats on my worse anxiety days =/



I used to hide when the curtains were open.  I would even hide under the windows against the wall and pray that they would go away.  What if they were trying to hurt me?

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## WineKitty

This isn't a problem for me very often.   ::(:

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