Koumpounophobia: Fear of buttons
The fear of buttons on clothing, known as button phobia or koumpounophobia, is an irrational phobia which is, perhaps surprisingly, a fairly common fear.
Most people who suffer from this phobia are convinced that they are the only ones in the world to suffer from such a strange fear, and they are often teased or taunted by others who do not understand or believe that they are telling the truth.
Irrational fears may be evoked due to traumatic happenings in early childhood, however, most people who do suffer from button phobia seem to admit that they have been afraid of buttons for as long as they can remember. For some people, the fear can also extend to all button-like objects, such as small coins, sequins and other small discs.
Types of buttons
Some people find that plastic buttons are worse than metal ones (like the ones on jeans) or that buttons with four holes are more fear or panic-inducing than those with two.
Degrees of severity
There are several degrees of severity to the phobia, ranging from cringing when others wear buttons and chosing not to wear buttons yourself to not wanting to breathe next to buttons in fear of inhaling one or washing your hands with soap for an extended period of time after any (accidental) contact with buttons. In some people, the sight of buttons may induce vomiting.
Some patients have found that hypnotherapy has been of help to overcome or make their button-suffering less severe.
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Mine has never been so severe I couldn’t touch buttons, but when I was a child, I sometimes gagged when looking at them. I always hated jars full of buttons, too. Over the years, my distaste has greatly decreased but I still don’t buy many clothes with buttons. What is amazing is that my daughter was born with the same affliction, which I discovered after she would not wear a beautiful cardigan with buttons when she was 2 or 3 because of the buttons!
haha OMG!! I cant actually believe their are other people with this phobia.I was bored and typed it in google and it came up on the predicted text thing,I was like what the F.Reading your comments mine are all similar,they actually make me feel very cringeworthy,I cant even say the word,ever since I was young I thought I was so wierd my sister used to wear her school uniform at the breakfast table and I wouldnt eat until she left.I always thought it was down to a technical thing in the brain,because when you think of it there is really no point of these things whats wrong with a nice round neck tee.I really hate grandad shirts UGGHHH!!! why?.. honestly why?
I have a son aged 5 who has the same fear of buttons. We managed to get him to wear a polo shirt for school which has 3 bottons on it but other than that he refuses to wear them. I have even cut buttons off t-shirts in the past but he still wont wear them as he knows that buttons were there once! I went through a phase of trying to force him to wear them but it created so many arguments and upset that it wasnt worth the hassle. Hopefully it’ll get better in time but at lease he wont be on his own!
I am glad to have found this page. I’ve been afraid of them since I can remember and sometimes I don’t even like to say the name. It took me forever to start wearing jeans without snaps. I don’t know where this stems from. I’ve gotten used to some types as long as I don’t touch them. If I do, I rub my hand raw or wash it for five minutes. Sometimes I don’t like walking in someone’s trail that is wearing them because the essence is there. I find decorative ones pointless. Why do you think they are so cool? And to make it worse, my sister collects them. Blech!
When I was little I used to have dreams about buttons swarming me and choking me to death. Over the years it’s become easier to tolerate, but I still have this grossed out feeling if I even look at them. I find that the smaller they are, the more I can’t stand them. I have a hard time taking small round pills. I also won’t touch pearl snaps or snaps on baby clothes. I’m paranoid if anyone around me is wearing a shirt with buttons on it and I will try my hardest to avoid skin contact while hugging them or anything. I also find unnecessary buttons on shirts to be repulsive. Like most of you have, I searched around a couple of years ago and found nothing on this condition. I’m so glad that it’s legit now!!
cant believe that this is a known phobia thought that my son was the only one!. his phobia started when he was about 3 hes now 9 and not any better, hates them!!! i have to cut them off shirts and trousers hes never worn a pair of jeans in his life.really did think he was pulling my leg at first then when i was making him wear shirts he used to scream till you took it off. he is also funny about wearing anything with poppie buttons on so its got even worse especially when it comes to buying coats as most of them have got them on,be glad to tell him the proper name of his phobia now, and hopfully he will grow out of it as he gets older.
My 10 year old stepson will not wear buttons – totally refuses and has been doing since since maybe 2 or 3 years old. He will throw a complete fit if we try to make him wear a shirt we have bought with buttons. We don’t even buy them anymore but he will still receive some as gifts from time to time. I tried to see if he would wear one the other day. Just to see if there was any change. I later found the shirt tossed across the floor in his room. Well its interesting to see this is a REAL Phobia. Good Luck all
I’ve always been afraid of buttons, and I’m really lucky to have a family that understands my phobia and doesn’t tease me about it, for the most part.
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I am pretty sure I know where my phobia comes from, my brother is nearly 4 years older than me, he used to have a cloth with loads of buttons sewn onto it because he liked to play with them. He’d chew them in front of me. Now when I think about buttons the absolute worst place they could touch me is around my mouth, it makes me feel physically sick. If I accidentally touch a button I have to go and wash my hands til they’re red raw. It’s also spread to small, round, coins. I can touch them as long as I don’t think about it too much. I also can’t take small round pills or throat sweets such as strepsils, because it makes me gag.
It’s so nice to know that there are others out there who have gone through and are going through the same things as me! Especially since when I tell others of my phobia I get teased and laughed at, most people think I’m joking and will immediately try to find a button to thrust in my face just to see if I’m kidding. How considerate!
Anyway, enough rambling, thanks for making this article
Heheh, my Mum has this fear… guess i should take it a lil more seriously then. Koumpounophobia, things are freaky, hey, flyspray freaks the shit out of me:P
And I thought I was the only one until recently as well.
When I was younger I cringed at touching them, seeing someone put a button in their mouth was disgusting beyond description. I am much much better now I am an adult but I still have a residual irrational dislike of them. My wife has a jar she put buttons in, I am still uneasy around it.
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I’ve had this fear all my life. I’m not as bad as some of you guys but avoid them where I can. I work in an office so have to wear a shirt and suit on a daily basis, but will usually wear black so as I cant see the buggers shining at me in the mirror. A nice neck tie hides the multitude too. I’ve had the fear since being a baby. My mother told me that I wouldnt wear them as a very young baby but buttons that looked like little cars or trucks got me around it when I was toddler. Cant do that these days though ha.
I recall old school pals (girls) with their cardigans on and the horrible large buttons that shone like a star stareing back at me, oh I used to gag at them. I also recall one girl with food (cornflakes) stuck in one too and that still haunts me 30 years on.
My friends and family do make fun of this Koumpounophobia (can anyone actually pronounce that) of mine, some so called friends actually trying to threaten me with throwing a jar of them over me. Oh god I would die. Glad to see we’re not alone with this odd phobia.
I too gag when having to sit in a room with someone wearing extra buttons. Especially today, a colleague of mine wore her favourite cardigan as it was casual day. It had approx 100 different buttons all over the chest and neck area, four holes and two hole ones oh my god and then large ones for buttoning it up. I’m gagging writing it. She has just left the building and put an additional cardigan on with more buttons. Should I tell my boss this as I cant look at the girl when she has these type of clothes on and I am going to appear to be a freak when I mention it.
Oh Long live the zipper.
I have had a phobia of buttons since I can remember. However, my parents do say that I would wear them when I was very young. The thing that made it worse was school uniforms. I used to feel like vomiting every time I had to put on a button down shirt. My phobia now extends to shirts with collars due to the association with buttons. If I accidentally brush against buttons, I will have the urge to wash my hands, but I am able to go without. It makes me feel much better to know that it is not an uncommon phobia, but still… I cannot comprehend why people wear them. I know that my fear is irrational, but at the same time, why would you want to wear them?
I have a very mild form of this, I can wear buttons if I have to, but Im not comfortable doing it. Small objects like 5p coins I try not to touch but I can handle when I need to and oddly baked beans make me feel funny in the same way. Ive never eaten them because of this. Anybody else feel the same way?
I too didn’t think there was a name for this until I saw this site. Things have waned greatly since adolescence, but when I was very young I refused to be near them, let alone wear something with buttons. Most of what I’ve read here applies, including the idea of some sort of residue that stays behind, and the fear of having them near my mouth (or anyone else’s). I still dislike large, extraneous ones, such as those sewn onto sweaters or (God forbid) a couch cushion, the shinier the more vile, but I’ve overcome those on my own clothing. About ten years ago, when I was in my 20’s, the subject came up and my mom was surprised. “Still?” she said. She told me then that when I was less than a year old she was changing my shirt, and one of the snaps caught on my nostril, and that I’d hated them ever since. It’s possible, though, that my mom had been using this instance to reconcile my irrational fear. Not everyone with this neurosis was injured by a button.