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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My wife has this phobia and she never told me for years in fact it took her years just to tell me she had a phobia then i had to prise it from her. I didn’t believe her at first but then she asked me to find a piece of her clothing with a button - not one. i no longer wear shirts
for work, i still think its weird but there you go. she hates lollipop sticks as well but besides that she’s quite normal
I recently in the last year realised I had a fear of buttons and othr small objects. When I was younger I always got a strange sensation when having to put my school shirt on, or when I changed the bed, or just touched the bottom of the douvet with my foot. It wasnt until a few months ago, I felt sick after I touched a button on my partner’s top I realised I had this strange phobia. Only my partner knows, I haven’t dared tell anyone else!
I have such a fear of them I can’t even say the word I am so restricted in clothes and I have two children I go lovely presents when they were born but all that I was interested in was that there was none of those things on the clothing it is so horrible feeling like this I don’t know where it came from but if I see some touching one it can turn me off that person or definitly I will watch them until they wash there hands I think I will get some help for this
As a 24 year old doctor in training I am dreading having to wear a lab coat. I have had this fear for as long as I can remember and fortunately my family and boyfriend are very understanding and don’t wear them around me. In particular it is the shiny, plastic ones with holes… I shudder a little bit thinking about them. I don’t find it too disruptive in my life but people most of the time seem to think I’m faking. I wonder if this is a fear more common in women?
Wow. I googled it but didn’t actually think I’d find a real clinical term for this. I don’t buy clothes with buttons and used to have a hard time saying the word. Don’t like to look at them, touch them, or inhale if I have to see or touch them. I wipe my hands when I touch them but its a sunconcious thing, there aren’t any button-germs. I kinda developed my own theory as to why they make me gag…when I was reeeally young I must’ve tried to eat one and got sick on it. Hard to wear work clothes with no buttons too. Anyone have any advice on how to get around that?
Wow, I thought he was alone in the world with this phobia. Buttons disgust me, but it is something that happens without me I want, it is horrible.
With metal buttons and the big buttons (plastic or metal) I have no problems.
If my writing is not well, sorry, but I’m from Chile and I speak Spanish.
I have this phobia. I hate even having to say the word.I can wear shirts but have to close my eyes when fastening them. I don’t mind metal pop fasteners too much but plastic ones freak me out. I have never told anyone about this because its so weird. And now it is fashionable among girls to wear overcoats and tops with huge ones. If I am beside someone like this on a busy train or bus I almost feel like vomitting. Arrrrrghh!
” For some people, the fear can also extend to all button-like objects, such as small coins, sequins and other small discs. ” :O This is true.
Haha! I think it’s brilliant to know that other people feel the same way. Sometimes it makes me feel quite wierd, like I am the only one who can see the truth, as if everyone was walking around with excrement all down their tops as if it was normal. for me the most excrutiating part has always been working out when to tell a partner. On trhe one hand, I don’t want to appear insane, and on the other, there is no way I can touch them if they are wearing certain things. Polo shirts are the very worst for me.
I have noticed that it’s getting milder as I get older though. When I was a child it felt like a very violent aversion and now it’s toned down, just… dislike. I really wouldn’t want to see them on my children though, when I have them. I would feel like they had been violated. There is something upsetting about seeing them on people I love.
After seeing Coraline I was a bit, um, afraid of Big, Black, four-holed buttons…(Fine with any other button, but now those in particular make me pause for a moment.)
I never knew this was a phobia, I don’t have it, but.. yeah.
Coraline was a great film/book -
but if you have this phobia.
DO NOT GO NEAR IT.
As a fourteen year old in high school, it is very difficult having this.
I am ok with metal ones, like on jeans, but any other ones I can’t stand.
I haven’t worn them my whole life.
I don’t tell many people because I know they won’t understand.
The few who know tease me about it and hold up buttons at me.
I will never get over this and it sucks when my friends wear then.
I don’t think I will ever get help for it because I believe it to be perfectly logical.
: )
I am 15 years old and just found this site. I thought I was the only one in my whole school who had my problem, but now I see that there are some other people like me. But i dont think its a fear though, rather they are just really really really really discusting! its really hard to even think about them. It seems like when someone in ,lets say a group of friends, is wearing buttons, i cant go near them, but everyone else in the group acts like theres nothing wrong with those nasty things. why cant they see how discusting they are?! I dont know why buttons are so repulsive, but ive had this problem since i can remember. I also feel paranoid that my friends would figure it out, but it seems like no one has ever noticed. I have somewhat gotten used to wearing the metal buttons on my jeans, but thats the ONLY kind i will put up with. Even then its still pretty grose. I think the smaller and shinier and dirtier they are, the worse. Also sequins are a little grose too. basically anything small round and shiny. I feel so odd having this “problem”, but ive had it all my life, ive kinda gotten used to avoiding them at all costs. yuk! i do not want help, because i NEVER want to touch a button. thats unimaginable. *gag*
but it is very helpful to know that other people have the same problem as me and im not alone.
thanks!
Ok so this button phobia for me started way back i actually cant remember when i first feared the buttons i do not actually fear buttons as much as i find them disgustingly gross. I want to gag when i see buttons but there have been a few times when i have thrown up or got completly light headed from buttons i plan to blog more into the future c ya guys
I can’t believe that there are actually other people with this same fear! I have had it since I was little - I was in a craft store with my mum and there were rows of buttons in containers and I felt like I wanted to throw up. If I tell anyone they think i’m joking. My boyfriend isn’t allowed to wear shirts with them on coz I can’t go near him if he does. I find loose ones the absolute worst and feel like they’re stuck in my throat if I see them. It’s so funny though i’m absolutely fine with jean ones. Little clear ones are the worst.
I have this fear. Especially large four holed plastic buttons, like the ones on some fashionable ladies coats. I had a close connection with someone a few years ago and couldn’t ask her out because she wore large buttons on her clothing almost every day. But the worst thing I can imagine is a jar of buttons. The idea makes me gag a little.
Omg i really thought i was the only one like that =o . . Sad to see it affects so many people but in a sense i’m more relieved cause i know i’m not weird lol =] . . My friends at school think i’m a bit mad lol xD . . I don’t like havin this fear its very restricting i hate having to hug people wearing them or come in contact with them . . If i’m talking to someone and their wearing them i’m constantly distracted making sure they don’t touch me . . Its crap getting ready for school cause i’ve to wear a buttoned shirt which means i’ve to touch them everyday =/ . . Suckishness . . Glad to see i’m not alone tho
Hi
My friend did not believe that there was such a thing until I told him that both my husband and son had this phobia. They would feel sick if they had to wear a shirt with buttons and if one fell off they could not pick it up. The ones with holes seem to bother them the most. Could it be hereditary?
I was so surpised that I am not the only one with this ‘fear’ I say fear for want of a better word, I don’t see myself as afraid of them, just they are the most disgusting things on this planet. I shudder at the thought of one touching me, I dry reach if I have to do my sons pajamas or something like that. I remember my Mum had a huge jar of them when I was a kid, I used to gag every time I saw it!!! If my partner touches one, I wont let him touch me unless he has washed his hands first!
I dont even like to say the word! It freaks me out if I see them up close in a catalogue and wont be able to touch that part of the page!
My family all know, but they cant help but make fun of me sometimes! I was very happy to find this site, I feel I am among my kinsmen hehehehe
Omg
I HATE buttons so much. My dad is the same. I dont mind metal poppers or metal one’s on jeans. But I can’t stand to look at plastic buttons, especially those horrible old brown ones! Eww… it makes me want to be sick. When I was younger (like really young - 3 or 4) my mum had bought me this red, ribbed top with plastic buttons on it, and I hated it so much and used to dread having to put it on when she ironed it, it made me cry every time LOL. I remember I was watching T.V one morning and the presenter was wearing a “grandad top” (a top which has buttons going down a line at the collar only) and I actually couldn’t watch that show and had to turn it over it was making me sick. However, grandad tops seem to be coming into fashion and my friends all wear them - its a NIGHTMARE - one of them even bought me a button top for my brithday 
AHH! … I never buy anything with plastic buttons on it, they’re so horrible.
I’m now a 47 mum of 5 and have had this fear since age 7, when the old man next door (who was creepy around kids) got my hand and pushed it in a deep tin of buttons from his wife’s sewing box.My hand came out and it was stuck with what I thought was snot and buttons from the tin, but having thought about it later i think it was prob. something more sinister. I had susequent nightmares of swimming in a pool of buttons and suffocating. It has not got better,
My problem is with the buttons loose, or like in an old jaw with string going through the holes.. that makes me gag , i can do shirts up but ill have to close my eyes, same with duvets and stuff..I work in a clothing store iswell and we sell big coats with big buttons ..ive told my boss that i dont like dealing with coats becuase i have a fear of them.haha but she thought i was making up excuses.badddddddddd timessssss
im 19 and as long as i can remember if been afraid of buttons. Its so silly to me to have a fear of buttons and i know there are many things i can to to get over my fear, but i simply dont want to. My friends are also skeptic, and it kills me. they get a kick out of wearing buttons and licking them in front of me and trying to rub them on me. Once they went as far as dumping a whole jar inside of my purse! i spent a long time taking them out one by one with tweezers trying not to gag. I wish i had never told anyone about it because it seems as if i only get made fun at. But its for real!! when will people believe it?!?
I can’t believe there are other people who hate buttons too! I have never met another person who hates buttons, but have always wondered if there were other people out there like me. I have hated buttons as long as I can remember. When I was really little I had a dress with buttons all over the front and I remember how much it disugsted me. My family and friends know about my button phobia and we always have a good laugh about it. It doesn’t bother me at all that they know, but we all agree that it is a really weird, random phobia to have.
Recently my husband bought a shirt on clearance at Kohl’s that looks really nice on him; only problem is that it has four buttons marching down the front. I told him that I wasn’t happy about the buttons, and I could understand that the shirt had them, but why did it have to have that extra fourth? “Too over-the-top,” I said, and we laughed.
I had no idea that some unfortunate people actually vomit at the sight of buttons. I hate thinking about them or looking at them, but usually they just make me feel really squeamish. I have gotten myself to the point where I can wear clothing with buttons, but I shudder if I happen to touch one. Shiny, plastic buttons are the worst. I have also had bad thoughts involving buttons, like, what if I were covered in them, or had to touch buttons covered in something wet and gross?
I still can’t believe I found other button-phobes! Seriously, this has made my day!
I thought of a couple other things: loose buttons (like lying on the floor are really bad), but one of the worst button images I can think of would be a button hanging by a thread. Ewww. I’ve seen it before and can’t get the image out of my head.
Only just found out that this was an actual phobia. My grandma has it and my mum has it and i have it. grandma used to take all the buttons off my clothes as a child. Now im 19 ive come to terms with wearing clothes with bottons on them but as soon as the button os off the clothes a gag and shudder. the old ones with material covering them are the worst!!
I have a fear of buttons too. I never knew other people had this fear and I feel a lot better knowing there are others out there. It has gotten better as I have gotten older but I definitely still hate them. Like others, it is especially bad with the plastic ones with holes. I never buy anything with buttons and only wear them if I have to. And even then I have to wear another shirt underneath it so they won’t touch my skin. If I do accidentally touch buttons I feel like I might throw up. No abuse that I can remember, I just have HATED them as long as I have been alive.
I had no idea this phobia existed until this week. My 4 year old son has not allowed me to dress him in anything with buttons since he’s 18 months old. He will not wear button down shirts, polo shirts, or coats/jackets with buttons. He will only wear jeans if I cut the adjustable waistband buttons out (he’s ok with the metal button in front). We had a party to attend this weekend, and not knowing about this phobia, I insisted he wear a button down polo shirt. When I finally got the shirt on him (after a long struggle), he literally went into convulsions and began breaking out in hives over his face, chest and back. That is when my husband decided to Google “fear of buttons” and found this website. Needless to say, we never made it to the party; but, I am thankful that I now know what my son suffers from, and I will NEVER force him to wear anything with buttons again.
Wow. This is amazing! I googled this thinking that there was no way anyone would have this irrational fear…but alas…I am not alone! I always figured I must of choked on a button (yeah..I hate saying the word too) as a kid because they make me gag sometimes. The ones I really can’t stand are the not quite white plastic ones found on men’s white dress shirts. Got chills just thinking about it! My throat feels like it’s closing up too. I will wear them now, but only because I have to. And I abhor polo shirts. They have the worst buttons of all!
I don’t have this phobia, so I can’t pretend to understand how people feel about buttons. But a friend of mine has told me she doesn’t like buttons, and I thought she was joking around at first. She’s not afraid of them on clothing, but if someone drops a button or there are loose buttons on the floor, it freaks her out. I’m surprised to see there are so many people with the same phobia. I wonder what triggers it.
Myself, I’m horrified by steam trains and air-raid sirens and have been since I was little, so I kind of understand the feeling I think..? Steam trains are just… unspeakably horrifying to me.
My husband didn´t believe me when I told him that I hated those horrible buttons on men´s shirts - you know the clear ones (yukkk!) He thinks its very funny and tried to make me “eat” one the other day and I was nearly sick. My daughter hates them too and he accused me of making her like me. When I was a child, I remember having to wear a school uniform with those horrible buttons. I always made sure my school tie covered them completely. I dont know about you lot out there but its almost as if I can TASTE them. I can wear matt buttons, jeans buttons and covered buttons are fine - its just the shiny small “pearl” variety that makes me want to throw up.
My 5 yr old son has a button phobia. I think he was about 2 1/2 when i first realised. We (my husband and I) have been to see a psycologist about it and he recommends gradual exposure it small incremental steps. Ie looking at pictures, playing with buttons, making sock puppets with buttons for eyes, making biscuits buttons. In addition to this he also does not like shirts with collars. This could be linked to buttons but I’m not really sure. I’d love for him to get over this but I’m not sure that is going to happen. If anyone has any more ideas I’d love to hear them.
Wow, i cant believe i’m not the only person in the world who has this. I’m so glad. The only person who i’ve ever told about this my boyfriend absolutely took the micky out of me and thought i was mental, even now it makes him laugh at me, mean boy :O(
i absoloubtly hate buttons, i can’t stand them. and im only 13! its wierd i thought i’d be the only person , but LOADS of people have a phobia of them, i just googled it and it came up with the propper scientific term, that i can’t even pronounce. My mum said that ive had a phobia of them ever since i was a baby, i would cry if she put one near me or next to me, and i still dont like them, i slip my jeans on without undooing the buttons and i prefer trackies anyways. i cant hardly look at anything with buttons on. I HATE MY SCHOOL POLO SHIRT!!!
I’m absolutely RELIEVED to know that I’m not the only one with this ridiculous fear. I have no idea, but akndadnadn. They should all be burned.
I AM SCARED TO I WISH I WERNT IM 12 AND I THINK NO ONE HAS IT I HATE TELLING MY MUM COZ IM AFRAID SHE MIGHT THINK WEN IZ HE GANNA STOP BUT I WANNA BUT I CANT I GET EMBARESSED WEARING THEM IN FRONT OF PPL
I have been repulsed by buttons for as long as I can remember. When I was a little girl, my mom would make me wear a white, button down blouse. Those were the worst days. I would button the nasty thing all the way up to my neck to prevent by skin from accidentally touching a button. I still remember the horrible sound it would make when the buttons on my sleeve would come in contact with my desk. As a teenager and young adult, I was forced to wear buttons for my jobs in food service. This only intensified my hatred for buttons and caused me to also hate the kinds of fabric that buttons are sewn to — such as polo shirts and polyester. Today I am married to a wonderful man who respects my hatred of buttons. However, he has to wear a uniform to work that has buttons and I cannot even look at him when he is dressed in it. His uniforms cannot come in contact with my clothes. My son found a little plastic button in a clothing store. Unknown to me, he carried it home. When I saw it, I asked him to drop it down the sewer grate, as I could not stand the thought of the button loose in the house. He and I laughed at the silliness of the situation. But, I cannot help but feel like such a freak sometimes. Why can’t I be afraid of heights or spiders or something normal?
Dear Fran,
In my opionon, the best thing you can do at this point is accept that he has this aversion and try to accommodate it. I am a 38 yr old mother or 4 who has a degree in elementary education and my dislike of buttons has not negatively impacted me. My mom always joked I’d get married in a zip up wedding gown!
Shirts with collars would definitely be on my “no wear” list because even if it only has 3 buttons, that is 3 too many. When I was 4 yrs my mom (and a psychologist) decided to tell me that when I turned 5 I was a “big girl” and big girls wear buttons. They did this with the best of intentions. Well, just before my birthday I told my mom that I didn’t want to turn 5. She was astonished, what kid doesn’t want to turn 5! When she asked my why I told her it was because I didn’t want to wear buttons. At that point, she backed off. That helped. Being pressured to wear, touch, “play” with buttons would have just made it worse. You can’t rationalize and irrational fear.
One thing that has helped over the years is that we all actually make light of it and it has become a joke around our house. One thing that would have been helpful when I was young was if my mom could have let the relatives know. There were several awkward holidays where a relative had gotten me an item of clothing with buttons.
Just so you know, this aversion to buttons has not passed on to my kids (who are now 8,9,12,13). I tried very intentionally to make sure they had at least an item or two of clothing with buttons. They actually tease me about it now
So basically, accept it, work to accommodate it, be light-hearted about it. If he hated spiders you wouldn’t make him hold a Daddy long legs. If he were afraid of heights you wouldn’t make him stand on top of the monkey bars. Both of those are much more socially acceptable fears. The good thing is there are so many other options… zippers, snaps, velcro. Also, one last thing. Let him know there are others of us out there. He’s not alone and he’s not weird.
I just heard of this condition, mentioned on the Channel 5 programme “The Wright Stuff” this morning. Somebody in the studio obviously looked it up on the net (probably this reference!) and stated through the headphones the name of it. I couldn’t find it in any dictionary so put “fear of buttons” into Google and elicited your website. All this because one of my sons (now 50) was terrified of buttons when he was little and nothing we could do would make him happy about wearing them. So I’m surprised to read that it’s well-known and to read all the comments from sufferers on your website. Amazing!
My husband sent me your site because I have always hated buttons, even the word. I can’t bear it when people talk about ‘buttoning something down’ or pressing a button on a remote control for example. I’m 39 now and have had this dislike for as long as I remember. When I was 3 I had a horrible jumper with buttons on the front of the neck and I used to put it on back-to-front so I wouldn’t have to see them. I particularly hate the buttons with an elipse in the middle and two holes, they look like evil cats’ eyes. I can just about bear a button that doesn’t have holes. I’m one of four girls and two of us have this and the other two torment us by sewing extra buttons on everything from bags to cushions and tops! Thanks for making me feel normal!
I honestly never thought that people would be scared of buttons… or that it would count as an actual medical phobia. I actually feel sorry for some of these people. Just out of curiosity, has anyone seen Coraline??? If so what did you think of it?
I’m really glad theres a site like this in this WORLD,, i really2 thanks to my friend because he gave me this link!
I always thought my phobia is weird, but somehow i know theres other people who hates other things as weird as button too, so i still count myself as normal aha..
i really cant stand buttons, as like you guys, the plastic one like EWWW! i always have this thought as well like wat if when i drink a soup theres one deep down the bowl (lol sory to give u this imagination but YEA ITS DISGUSTING!!!even just to imagine it!brrrr!) or when i see my cousin chewing the button on his shirt to his mouth YUCKK!!!
but funny thing is that i want to be a fashion designer!this is sumthin im really tryin to figure out how..lol ill pray for us, we’ll get well soon(eventho i think we will never) ughhh
My phobia with the things is strange. If they are on clothing (serving their purpose) or if it is one by itself, I’m okay with it. I can sew one on if it were to come off, no problems there either. But, to mention the word or the idea of a jar full of them (in various shapes, sizes and colors), and plunging my hand into the jar, it just creeps me out to no end. I start feeling queezy just thinking about it. I understand how everyone feels about this. It has been like this for over forty years and it is still just as creepy today at as it was back then. They just are soooo freaking gross.
I’m grateful to find this site, but still frustrated.
My 6 yr old daughter has this same dislike, fear, disgust of plastic buttons with holes. It’s become a vocalized learning conversation. We respect it, but talk about life being full of buttons and she’s going to have to learn to find a way to accept them, and not throw a fit, or leave the room, or get so moody ….
I’m curious is there is a common link with those suffering from this.
I’d love to understand to cause, if there’s a path to coping with it.
So many people seemed relieved to know others, but I want to know how to help my daughter, other than just accept it. She’s 6, she’s looking to me to help prepare her for the world, I want her to not feel like a freak, so I don’t want to make a deal about it, but I also don’t want to just accommodate it then turn her out with a problem that causes such discomfort and distraction over the fun and loving and important things in life, rather than being distracted by a button within sight.
It’s the cause of so much stress and moodiness in her life, and she bottles up so much, and gets so angry and mad… I wonder often if she’s resenting us all for not fixing it, or agreeing with her. We are pretty much forced at this point to keep the house button free, which i’d do in a heartbeat to make her comfortable, just like if she feared spiders, I’d never force her to hold one, keep them in the house…
BUT, there’s more to just keeping her “safe” at home… we have a responsibility to prepare and protect them beyond the home. I want so bad to help, and not make her angry. She also has tight terrors. Is this something anyone else with button phobia has? I wonder if this heightened sensitivity is connected in someway. I want to understand the physiological side of it. Maybe all those with this, have a much more acute sensitivity to some sense, something most of us don’t see or tune into. maybe there’s a positive side to it, if it can be tuned into, understood and focused the right way… I just can’t believe such a random seemingly illogical thing is SO common.
WHY????
Any help or thoughts would SO be appreciated.
~concerned mother in Seattle
Here’s a short (true) film I made on this very subject - enjoy.
Be warned, this film does contain scenes of button related mild terror - but it helped me get over it (a bit)!
http://www.vimeo.com/1437277
I have to wash my hands after touching a button, i imagine myself choking on the buttons, just reading the other comments has left me feeling sick. I’ve hated buttons all my life and had to cut them off cardigans when i was younger, my mom has the same fear too. I HATE all small objects, such as 5p coins, sequins, and other little tacky objects. Im fine with jeans buttons, and ive learned to cope with my school shirt, as i know i have to wear it. I hate clothes which have buttons stuck on for no reason, if my friend has one on, I wont go near them.