Hi Kim

I'm sorry your son is having this problem :-( For many people
(including me) it does seem to begin at a very young age.
There may be some tips to help you if you look back at some of the
messages on here (have a look at my message no. 153).

I spoke to Claire recently and I gather your interview will be for
the Daily Mail in the UK. We do have some UK members but quite a few
people who post here live in the USA.

I'm sorry I can't help but my daughter is now grown up - and still
button phobic, unfortunately!

Barbara

--- In b_phobia@yahoogroups.com, Kim Jones <kimajones@...> wrote:
>
> Looking for interviewees
>
> Hi - My son(almost three)recently started to refuse to wear
anything
> with buttons. Gorgeous
> cute pyjamas and cute cardies are definitely out! I spent a while
> researching button phobia on
> the net and - to my relief - came across lots of other people
with
> the same dislike of buttons,
> children and adults alike. As a journalist, I wanted to write an
> article on this subject, and I've
> just been commissioned by a national newspaper to write a piece
on
> children's everyday fears
> and phobias  -  so I'm looking for other mums of small children
with
> a button phobia to
> interview. It wouldn't involve too much time - about half an hour
on
> the phone and then a
> small pic afterwards. There'd be a fee for anyone who takes part,
too.
>
> Hope to hear from you as soon as possible
>
> Best wishes
>
> Kim
>

Looking for interviewees

Hi - My son(almost three)recently started to refuse to wear anything
with buttons. Gorgeous
cute pyjamas and cute cardies are definitely out! I spent a while
researching button phobia on
the net and - to my relief - came across lots of other people with
the same dislike of buttons,
children and adults alike. As a journalist, I wanted to write an
article on this subject, and I've
just been commissioned by a national newspaper to write a piece on
children's everyday fears
and phobias  -  so I'm looking for other mums of small children with
a button phobia to
interview. It wouldn't involve too much time - about half an hour on
the phone and then a
small pic afterwards. There'd be a fee for anyone who takes part, too.

Hope to hear from you as soon as possible

Best wishes

Kim

--- In b_phobia@yahoogroups.com, "kimmumto2boys" <kimajones@...> wrote:
  I'm looking for other mums of small children with a button phobia to
> interview.

Oh, I wish I didn't feel like an abnormality being investigated under
a microscope.
But hey, I guess I am abnormal, having a vile hatred of buttons.
My job demands that I wear a shirt with buttons. The more buttons the
better it seems.
Button down collar gains extra marks in my job. I hate, hate, and hate
this established
form of dress amongst our society.
I am the same Goddamn person regardless of whether I wear a Pearly
King outfit
Or a Tracksuit with zero buttons.
I hate my Job, life and societies stance upon formal clothing.

Hi - My son(almost three)recently started to refuse to wear anything with
buttons. Gorgeous
cute pyjamas and cute cardies are definitely out! I spent a while researching
button phobia on
the net and - to my relief - came across lots of other people with the same
dislike of buttons,
children and adults alike. As a journalist, I wanted to write an article on this
subject, and I've
just been commissioned by a national newspaper to write a piece on children's
everyday fears
and phobias  -  so I'm looking for other mums of small children with a button
phobia to
interview. It wouldn't involve too much time - about half an hour on the phone
and then a
small pic afterwards. There'd be a fee for anyone who takes part, too.

Hope to hear from you as soon as possible

Best wishes

Kim

Yuk! Hannah, you have all my sympathy. If you look back at some of
my posts here you will see that duvet covers with buttons are my pet
horror. I am terrified that one day I will go to a hotel and they
will have that sort of duvet cover! I don't know how you are
sleeping at all, I don't think I could - I would have to sleep on
the floor!
And I quite agree, the fact that they are covered is no help at all.
You could still feel them, I'm sure, all lumpy and horrible
(shudders).
Tell your husband to get the nasty things cut off as soon as
possible!

Barbara

--- In b_phobia@yahoogroups.com, hannah sasser <hannahsasser@...>
wrote:
>
> For some reason most duvet covers fasten with you-know-whats. My
husband recently bought me a beautiful new duvet cover that I knew,
the moment I looked at it, would have b's on it. Our old duvet cover
had a nice safe zip on the bottom but was, unfortunately, quite
ugly. Sure enough the new duvet cover did have b's. They weren't on
the bottom. They are placed about a quarter of the way from the
bottom and are covered by a flap of material. The design reminds me
of an envelope. My husband tried to convince me that because they
were covered by material it would be okay. Who does he think he's
kidding?! They are the worst kind - big, red and shiny. Enough to
make me feel physically ill. My husband is supposed to cutting them
off. The scissors that he cuts them off with will have to be
discarded along with them. I would never be able to use them again.
He hasn't done so yet though so I am reduced to sleeping with socks
on (in May!) curled up in the fetal position lest my feet
>  stray down into the button zone and inadvertantly rub against
them. My sleep is so disturbed. Tonight we're out of town and I've
never been so glad to sleep in a hotel bed.
>   Who comes up with these duvet designs anyway?
>
>   Hannah Sasser
>
>  __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> http://mail.yahoo.com
>

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

I have a couple of blouses that I can wear with just a few very small
white buttons on them. I have to admit that I don't wear them very
often - but I can do it!

But yes, other types of button completely disgust me.

Barbara


--- In b_phobia@yahoogroups.com, "discocat82" <discocat82@...> wrote:
>
> I don't know why clothing with zippers isn't accepted as "formal." I
> do think it is easier for us ladies though, to do almost completely
> without buttons. I've never seen a men's dress shirt without them.
>
> Another thing that baffles me is why most of us here, myself
included,
> find certain buttons to be disgusting, others slightly gross, and
some
> are just fine. My best friend, who knows about my hatred of the
> things, sometimes looks at me funny when we are shopping and I pick
> something up to try on that has buttons on it.
>
> She'll say "I thought you hated buttons?" as if challenging me like
> I'm making the whole thing up!! Then I have to explain to her that
> only *certain* ones are gross to me, and I end up sounding crazy!
>

I don't know why clothing with zippers isn't accepted as "formal." I
do think it is easier for us ladies though, to do almost completely
without buttons. I've never seen a men's dress shirt without them.

Another thing that baffles me is why most of us here, myself included,
find certain buttons to be disgusting, others slightly gross, and some
are just fine. My best friend, who knows about my hatred of the
things, sometimes looks at me funny when we are shopping and I pick
something up to try on that has buttons on it.

She'll say "I thought you hated buttons?" as if challenging me like
I'm making the whole thing up!! Then I have to explain to her that
only *certain* ones are gross to me, and I end up sounding crazy!

--- In b_phobia@yahoogroups.com, "discocat82" <discocat82@...> wrote:
...
> Actually, it's days later now and they are still there. I had to
> cover them up with a CD case so I don't have to look at them. Yuck
> yuck yuck!!!!

And what about that "Spare Button" supplied with some Polo's!
There it is, sewn onto a label on the inside of a Polo.
It's as intolerable as a smear of faeces on our clothing!
Ugh, it's disgusting!

I personally love the look of a Polo Shirt, but I Hate, Hate, Hate the
Buttons!
The problem is, society seems to of adapted a belief that Zips are for
"Simple people".
A zip Polo Shirt does not attract the same formality that a 3 Horn
Button Polo has. (Excuse me while I throw up

In my job I have to wear a formal shirt. If I didn't then, I would not
be accepted within business society. It has all the silly buttons in
stupid places.
But I am really intrigued as to why society accepts this first
impression view as the expected norm? If I went in my neatly presented
Zip Polo, Sweatshirt and matching colour Nylon Tracksuit Bottoms.
Then I would not gain the confidence of any clients.

So by day, I have to tolerate this Cotton/Button clothing formality.
The second I'm home. I run for my Tracksters, Hoodie and Zip Polo or
T-Shirt.

I had a very gross experience last week.

If you'll recall, I got a job in February which required me to wear
polo shirts with tortoiseshell b's, which are my least favorite
kind. I was dealing with it fairly well. Every once in awhile if I
was actually thinking about it I'd have to fight a gag, or if they
made that horrible plinking noise when I threw them in the washer I
would gag.

Well this was much worse than any of that. I arrived to work early
one day and was noticing that there was a thread loose on one of the
b's. (EWWWW!) If I get a loose thread on a sock I just pull it until
I can break it off. I thought this was going to be like that so I
pulled the thread. The entire b came off and landed on my hand!
EWWWW!!!! Then like an idiot I did the same thing with another b on
the same shirt!

So now I have one b left (out of three) on this shirt that I have to
wear for the entire day and two b's sitting in the little
compartment under my radio in my car. I couldn't pick them up
without a papertowel and I didn't have one, so they just sat there,
mocking me. I couldn't even eat my breakfast.

Actually, it's days later now and they are still there. I had to
cover them up with a CD case so I don't have to look at them. Yuck
yuck yuck!!!!

Down with the b's!!!!
~Lisa

Hi Lisa, thanks for your reply, it's reassuring to hear someone who
has dealt with this same problem from an early age. I really hope
things will get easier for Freya my daughter, I will probably try and
find some help for her, to see if someone can help her with coping
strategies for social situations where other people are wearing buttons.
I don't buy her any clothes with buttons, nor do I wear any myself -
both her father and I have cut buttons off some of our favourite
clothes so that we could carry on wearing them and she would still be
able to sit on our laps or have a cuddle. It's interesting what you
say about different-shaped buttons.
I don't have to worry about school uniforms as we are home educating,
thank goodness!
Thanks again for your reply
Ali


--- In b_phobia@yahoogroups.com, "discocat82" <discocat82@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Ali,
>
> I've hated buttons (and I hate snaps even more!!) since I was 6
> years old if not earlier. All I can tell you is that it should get
> *somewhat* better as she gets older. I used to not be able to wear
> any buttons or snaps at all, or eat in view of anyone wearing them.
> Now I can wear certain buttons (but still not snaps...ewww) and eat
> in view of people wearing them. Sometimes it still makes me feel a
> little sick but I have to squelch that feeling now that I am an
> adult haha. When giving hugs to someone wearing them, I just try not
> to touch them...I give them one of those "pat on the back" hugs.
>
> I think the fear of eating while looking at someone wearing buttons
> comes from imagining what it would be like if they spilled food or
> drink on their buttons. (Ewwwww this still makes me sick...it's also
> hard for me to touch wet clothing with buttons when moving it from
> the washer to the dryer.) I still haven't overcome this completely.
> Just the other day I had to fight back a gag when I spilled
> something on my work uniform.
>
> It's really pretty easy to find nice clothing without buttons,
> except in the case of the dreaded uniforms. I agree with the other
> poster who said that buttons in the shape of animals are a little
> easier to handle. Also larger buttons (like those on pea coats) and
> wooden buttons have never been a problem for me. See if you can find
> out if your daughter feels the same way.
>
> ~Lisa
>

Thanks Barbara, in fact Freya won't be going to school as we are
educating at home so at least we don't have to deal with quite the
same scenario. I think I will attempt to find some help for her, to
see if it can be overcome as it does cause social problems, e.g.
inability to eat tea at a friend's house the other day.
I think you're right that coping strategies would be the most
practical way to go.
Will give it all a bit more thought and look around at what kind of
help is available.
Ali


--- In b_phobia@yahoogroups.com, "wilks286" <wilks286@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Ali
>
> Do have a look at message 153 which is my reply to another mother with
> a similar problem. Maybe something in that will be a little help.
> I wouldn't advise asking visitors not to wear buttons. The problem is
> that she will soon be at school and coming into more contact with
> button-wearers and to a certain extent she is going to have to learn
> to cope with that. I would talk to her about it. Tell her that you
> understand that she doesn't like buttons (perhaps even tell her that
> other people feel the same way) but she has to understand that some
> people DO like them and want to wear them.
>
> It might be useful to find professional help for her if you can. Even
> if she continues to dislike buttons for the rest of her life (like me)
> there may be strategies that help her deal with a life full of button-
> lovers.
>
> Good luck and do let us know how you get on.
> If anyone has any success in beating this weird phobia we would all
> love to know :-)
>
> Barbara
>

Hi Lisa - I just had a baby on February 8th and I think almost
everything has snaps..... the "onesies" only have three snaps and there
are little sleeper sacks that have zippers but a small snap by the neck
to preven the baby from getting caught in the zipper. I would recommend
an internet search but I am not sure you will be successful. No matter
hos you prepare, people will still give you gifts of snaps. I know I
got a LOT of clothes with buttons on them and had a hard time thanking
people for then at my shower! Don't let it stop you from having kids...
you's be amazed what you can ut up with for the ske of your child. As
with everythin we have had to deal with with this phobia, we manage
somehow!

As anyone who has ever read my posts knows, I hate snaps as much if
not more than buttons. The worst kind of snaps for me are the small
ones like on baby clothing. I'm not pregnant, but I'm getting married
next year so a baby might not be *too* far off for me, and the thought
of handling and washing clothes with those snaps on the crotch and up
the front makes me want to throw up.

I'm just curious if anyone knows where one could buy baby clothing (in
the US) without snaps OR buttons. Velcro would be great. My phobia of
snaps is so bad that I would probably change my mind about having
children if I knew I'd have to touch snaps.

~Lisa

Hi Ali,

I've hated buttons (and I hate snaps even more!!) since I was 6
years old if not earlier. All I can tell you is that it should get
*somewhat* better as she gets older. I used to not be able to wear
any buttons or snaps at all, or eat in view of anyone wearing them.
Now I can wear certain buttons (but still not snaps...ewww) and eat
in view of people wearing them. Sometimes it still makes me feel a
little sick but I have to squelch that feeling now that I am an
adult haha. When giving hugs to someone wearing them, I just try not
to touch them...I give them one of those "pat on the back" hugs.

I think the fear of eating while looking at someone wearing buttons
comes from imagining what it would be like if they spilled food or
drink on their buttons. (Ewwwww this still makes me sick...it's also
hard for me to touch wet clothing with buttons when moving it from
the washer to the dryer.) I still haven't overcome this completely.
Just the other day I had to fight back a gag when I spilled
something on my work uniform.

It's really pretty easy to find nice clothing without buttons,
except in the case of the dreaded uniforms. I agree with the other
poster who said that buttons in the shape of animals are a little
easier to handle. Also larger buttons (like those on pea coats) and
wooden buttons have never been a problem for me. See if you can find
out if your daughter feels the same way.

~Lisa

Hi Ali

Do have a look at message 153 which is my reply to another mother with
a similar problem. Maybe something in that will be a little help.
I wouldn't advise asking visitors not to wear buttons. The problem is
that she will soon be at school and coming into more contact with
button-wearers and to a certain extent she is going to have to learn
to cope with that. I would talk to her about it. Tell her that you
understand that she doesn't like buttons (perhaps even tell her that
other people feel the same way) but she has to understand that some
people DO like them and want to wear them.

It might be useful to find professional help for her if you can. Even
if she continues to dislike buttons for the rest of her life (like me)
there may be strategies that help her deal with a life full of button-
lovers.

Good luck and do let us know how you get on.
If anyone has any success in beating this weird phobia we would all
love to know :-)

Barbara

--- In b_phobia@yahoogroups.com, "Ali" <ali@...> wrote:
>
> Hi
> My daughter finds bs make her feel disgusted and sick. She cannot eat
> if someone is in view wearing the things, even when it's her
favourite
> food. She can hardly bear to be hugged by someone wearing them, even
> if it's one of her favourite people.
> Any advice is gratefully received.
> Should I ask everyone visiting not to wear buttons? Should I seek out
> therapy for her? If so, what kind? Should I talk to her about it a
lot
> or just let it happen?
> I have stopped wearing them, about a year ago.
> Any opinions I would really welcome.
> Thanks in advance
> Ali
>

Hi, I've just joined too, my daughter is 4.5 and has had b_phobia
possibly forever - we only recognized it at around 18 months to 2, but
I suspect it was there earlier.
She will certainly not wear clothes with bs and also will avoid people
wearing them, which is much harder to deal with, having social
consequences at an age when children are trying to make friends.
I am finally accepting the seriousness of this problem and glad to
talk with anyone about it.
Ali

Hi
My daughter finds bs make her feel disgusted and sick. She cannot eat
if someone is in view wearing the things, even when it's her favourite
food. She can hardly bear to be hugged by someone wearing them, even
if it's one of her favourite people.
Any advice is gratefully received.
Should I ask everyone visiting not to wear buttons? Should I seek out
therapy for her? If so, what kind? Should I talk to her about it a lot
or just let it happen?
I have stopped wearing them, about a year ago.
Any opinions I would really welcome.
Thanks in advance
Ali

Hello and welcome to the group :-)

I have had button phobia since I was quite little. Even though I
tried to hide my phobia for many years it seems that I have in some
way passed it on to my daughter who has been button phobic from an
early age - probably as young as your daughter.

I'm not quite sure what to tell you. When it became obvious that my
daughter had the same problems as I did I tried to help. I have
tried forcing my daughter to wear buttons (thinking that she could
beat this when I couldn't) but she couldn't do that. I have tried
ignoring it and hoping it would go away. It didn't. She is now 22
and still phobic. There is no way she will ever wear a button. She
had to wear formal clothes for her university exams including gown
and blouse and I had to cut off the buttons from her blouse and sew
up the front so she could wear it.

There are ways around this phobia. When she was little I replaced
any buttons on her clothing with untraditional buttons ie those
without two holes, usually in animal shapes - you can usually buy
these for children. For a while they were successful but she soon
associated them with buttons and disliked them too.

That isn't going to help when your daughter starts school and has to
wear a polo shirt. The school may allow you to cut off the buttons
of course if they are going to cause her real distress but the
problems come if she appears different from the other children and
if they find out she is scared of buttons.

That said, my daughter recently had to wear a polo shirt for a
summer job and was allowed to cut off the buttons.

I would have hoped the people at your local psychiatric unit would
have been more helpful. Even if they haven't heard of button phobia
they should know something about the general treatment of phobias
and be able to recommend something. Phobia treatment does tend to
involve things like hypnotherapy (would she be old enough for this?)
or flooding techniques where the phobic is exposed to large amounts
of the hated thing so that they find out it cannot harm them and
their fear recedes. (My son is a psychologist and is fond of telling
us how to overcome this.....ummm, without convincing us, I'm afraid).

My thoughts on enabling her to overcome this would probably include
helping her to touch buttons. Perhaps by playing with the sorts of
buttons she likes (you say she is OK with metal ones), maybe make
pictures with them,  and gradually introduce different kinds,
particularly sparkly ones, say, or whatever appeals to her.
Don't force her to do this though or you will put her off even more.

I'm sorry, I've replied at length but I do think you may have a good
chance of reversing this phobia as your daughter is so young. If you
look back at some of the messages on here you will see that it can
be quite upsetting at times and interfere with jobs, boyfriends,
shopping and lifestyle.

Do let us know how you get on and good luck!

Barbara

--- In b_phobia@yahoogroups.com, "emmad292" <emmad292@...> wrote:
>
> Hi I've just discovered your group and I'm amazed to find so many
> people with this phobia!
>
> My daughter who is now 3 has suffered from this fear since she was
> about 18 months. I have no idea h9ow it started, but it is
becoming
> progressively worse. She now refuses to wear any clothes with
buttons
> on, and won't even hold my hand if I have a button on my clothes.
>
> Seems the traditional plastic ones with the holes are the worst.
She
> doesn't really notice the metal ones.
>
> Does anyone else have children with the same fear? Any tips from
> existing sufferers on how to cope with this? I don't want to make
her
> any worse, as she will start school in a year and will have to
wear a
> polo shirt.
>
> I have already asked for advice from our health visitors, who
referred
> me to the local psychiatric unit at the hospital, and they had
never
> heard of button phobia! Obviously haven't searched the internet
then!
>

my mother tried everything with me since my button phobia started very
young as well..... she tried making crafts with buttons and using
buttons in disguise (ie bear heads, etc.) but i didn' fall for any of
it.
  She also had a friend who knew about my phobia and would threaten me
with buttons everytime he saw me - the memory of this guy is still
traumatic for me and I am 31 years old! I have been managing my phobia
very well and am a productice adult ( I am a therapist beleive it or
not) - although it is rearing up a little since I just had my first
baby and receiving a lot of baby clothes with buttons on them....
my advice to a mom of a button phobe is to let her be. You are not
going to get her over it. I found that eventually  peer pressure had
some effect and I played sports and had no choice but to wear buttons
on my uniforms. later as a wiatress my roomate would button my shirt
after I pulled it over my head...as an adult I have a lot of success
not wearing buttoms and nobody notices!

Hi I've just discovered your group and I'm amazed to find so many
people with this phobia!

My daughter who is now 3 has suffered from this fear since she was
about 18 months. I have no idea h9ow it started, but it is becoming
progressively worse. She now refuses to wear any clothes with buttons
on, and won't even hold my hand if I have a button on my clothes.

Seems the traditional plastic ones with the holes are the worst. She
doesn't really notice the metal ones.

Does anyone else have children with the same fear? Any tips from
existing sufferers on how to cope with this? I don't want to make her
any worse, as she will start school in a year and will have to wear a
polo shirt.

I have already asked for advice from our health visitors, who referred
me to the local psychiatric unit at the hospital, and they had never
heard of button phobia! Obviously haven't searched the internet then!

--- In b_phobia@yahoogroups.com, "debz" <airyfairy_uk@...> wrote:
>
> firstly hello to everyone,
>
> i have been researching into this phobia lately and i am
interested to know more about
> how it affects your daily life?

It doesn't affect me much nowadays as I have a relatively b****n
free existence. It was worse when my children were young and I was
expected to sew the nasty little things on to shirts, trousers and
the like. Now they are all older they can do their own sewing!

I did have a nasty shock recently. I've been replacing worn out
bedding and bought some new duvet covers, 3 different ones from
different manufacturers. Once I opened the packaging I found that
all 3 fastened with b****ns rather than poppers. This wasn't
decorative as they aren't visible when the cover is in use but I
still had to cut them all off and replace them with poppers and
velcro. Eeeeeeeaaaawwww!!!!

I can't see the point - it makes them harder to fasten and unfasten
and (never mind phobics) must make them difficult for people with
arthritic fingers. Why?????

The other way in which this affects my daily life is in shopping for
clothes. Of course I avoid b****ny things (which can be difficult)
but just shuffling through racks of clothes often mean that you end
up touching b****ns by mistake.
And of course there is the problem of sitting near someone with
great big b****ns on their clothes. Yuk.

Barbara

Hi Deb,

To answer your questions, I have been very proud of myself lately! I
recently got a new job, and 2 weeks in I found out I would have to
wear the dreaded uniform polo shirt. To my dismay, all three shirts
I was given have tortoiseshell buttons on them -- the button I hate
the most!!

I started wearing them on Monday and while I still hate it, I can
deal with it. I just touch them as little as possible when putting
on/taking off the shirt, and the rest of the day I try to forget
they are there. I did gag and almost throw up yesterday when I
spilled something on them though.

My daily life isn't too greatly affected by my phobia, other than
the uniform shirt, which I change out of about 8 seconds after I get
home. Sometimes buttons that my fiance wears will bother me if I'm
eating across the table from him, but if I tell him he will usually
change clothes, although he still makes fun of me sometimes :P

~Lisa

firstly hello to everyone,

i have been researching into this phobia lately and i am interested to know more
about
how it affects your daily life?

do you find it is a problem you encounter and have to deal with everyday, or
have you
found ways to minimize the effects it has on your life?

any information you can give me would be greatly appreciated, i am shocked to
find so
many people who do have a problem with b****ns but it is great to have this
support
group to dicuss things together,

deb x

That is true :-)
But....I suppose what I'm trying to say is that some of us may have
fears that seem silly to other people but we are still quite brave
about other things. And I won't put up with being mocked about one
of my failings without pointing out that I can overcome fear in
other ways.
I've come across people who are phobic about other harmless objects -
  moths for instance which can't possibly hurt you, but loads of
people don't like them because they 'flutter'. Mirrors is another
phobia I have seen discussed recently. So being a bit weird about
buttons doesn't mean I'm crazy :-)

Barbara

--- In b_phobia@yahoogroups.com, vortex <bigvortex@...> wrote:
>
> But you have to admit that our phobia is pretty far
> out there.  Spiders, parachuting and talking to a room
> full of people have some grounds for causing fear but
> our fear is purely psychological.
>
> --- wilks286 <wilks286@...> wrote:
>
>
> >
> > If anyone mocked me I think I would ask them if they
> > could pick up a
> > spider, or go parachuting or give a talk to a room
> > full of
> > strangers - all things I can or have done that a lot
> > of people may
> > not be able to.
> >
> > I think we all have fears but we all have strengths
> > too and
> > sometimes we should emphasise our strengths :-)
> >
> > Barbara
> >
> > --- In b_phobia@yahoogroups.com, "Felicity Duncan"
> > <twisted_blacksun@> wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > If they did, it's probably best that one says that
> > they 'just don't
> > > like them' rather than say that they have a
> > phobia. For some
> > reason,
> > > people are more able to accept this as an
> > explanation.
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >     b_phobia-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> http://mail.yahoo.com
>

But you have to admit that our phobia is pretty far
out there.  Spiders, parachuting and talking to a room
full of people have some grounds for causing fear but
our fear is purely psychological.

--- wilks286 <wilks286@...> wrote:


>
> If anyone mocked me I think I would ask them if they
> could pick up a
> spider, or go parachuting or give a talk to a room
> full of
> strangers - all things I can or have done that a lot
> of people may
> not be able to.
>
> I think we all have fears but we all have strengths
> too and
> sometimes we should emphasise our strengths :-)
>
> Barbara
>
> --- In b_phobia@yahoogroups.com, "Felicity Duncan"
> <twisted_blacksun@...> wrote:
>
> >
> > If they did, it's probably best that one says that
> they 'just don't
> > like them' rather than say that they have a
> phobia. For some
> reason,
> > people are more able to accept this as an
> explanation.
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>     b_phobia-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
>
>
>


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

It's a shame when people are so judgemental.

A lot might mock you and say they don't have any phobias but I bet
if you quizzed them they would maybe run a mile from a bee or
wouldn't go in a lift or cry in a thunderstorm or something.

If anyone mocked me I think I would ask them if they could pick up a
spider, or go parachuting or give a talk to a room full of
strangers - all things I can or have done that a lot of people may
not be able to.

I think we all have fears but we all have strengths too and
sometimes we should emphasise our strengths :-)

Barbara

--- In b_phobia@yahoogroups.com, "Felicity Duncan"
<twisted_blacksun@...> wrote:

>
> If they did, it's probably best that one says that they 'just don't
> like them' rather than say that they have a phobia. For some
reason,
> people are more able to accept this as an explanation.
>

--- In b_phobia@yahoogroups.com, "essence_ryu" <essence_ryu@...> wrote:
>
> Umm..Well..Yeah. I have the same kind of phobia, but I can still wear
> snaps. I've had it since I was 3 and a half and I'm 17 right now. When
> I was in first and second grade, my parents had me go to a Catholic
> school. (You know what the uniforms are like, right?) Yeah. So
> anyways, I've had more guy problems then the average teen because I
> don't like getting close to people. Because of my phobia and because
> of the way people treat me when they find out about it. My little
> sister used to throw buttons at me and my brother would fling his
> shirt at me because he "forgot." I very rarely tell people about "it."
> One good thing about this type of phobia would have to be that people
> don't notice that you're not wearing buttons unless you tell them. And
> they forget easily.
>
Yeah, I've had people treat me less than kind because of my phobia
too. If it wasn't my mother forcing me to wear clothes with buttons on
them because she thought that I was being 'stubborn' and a 'brat', it
was the other children at my school mocking me because I was exempt
from wearing a school blouse.

I don't know why I told the other children of my phobia, but they were
  too young to understand, so the word then got around that I was
exempt from wearing a blouse because I couldn't do the buttons up.

Anyways, these days I never tell anybody about it and like you said,
nobody really notices that you don't wear the horrid things.

If they did, it's probably best that one says that they 'just don't
like them' rather than say that they have a phobia. For some reason,
people are more able to accept this as an explanation.

Umm..Well..Yeah. I have the same kind of phobia, but I can still wear
snaps. I've had it since I was 3 and a half and I'm 17 right now. When
I was in first and second grade, my parents had me go to a Catholic
school. (You know what the uniforms are like, right?) Yeah. So
anyways, I've had more guy problems then the average teen because I
don't like getting close to people. Because of my phobia and because
of the way people treat me when they find out about it. My little
sister used to throw buttons at me and my brother would fling his
shirt at me because he "forgot." I very rarely tell people about "it."
One good thing about this type of phobia would have to be that people
don't notice that you're not wearing buttons unless you tell them. And
they forget easily.

This message is about Human beings, Democracy, UNHCR, Refugees, The Iraqis,
Islam, Kurds, Human rights, Respect, Money, Donations, Angelina Jolie,
Pavarotti, Giorgio Armani, Donors, Peace, History, Campaigns and about you if
you care about these words.

Hi there,

I am SAM, an Iraqi refugee living in Lebanon at the moment; I have spent the
last 10 years of my life as a refugee registered with the UNHCR in Beirut. The
last 4 years, I have spent as an activist for peace and human rights (especially
refugees and asylum seekers) on the Internet; I'm also books author and ebooks
publisher. I have launched many campaigns to improve our situation as refugees
in Lebanon and hopefully bring more understanding to our problems worldwide. I
helped make many changes and improvements at the UNHCR office in Beirut; I used
the Internet as the field for my activities (you can read more about that in my
free ebook 'MY CAMPAIGNS'). All my ebooks are free and could be download from my
sites.

This is my newest campaign, it's about the illegal and humiliating actions of
the UNHCR, who using photos of refugees as banners and human-buttons to collect
money. This is an abuse of the dignity and humanity of the refugees and must
stop immediately and a clear public apology present by The United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees. My friends, I am talking about the pictures you can
see here: http://read.bizhat.com Where you can read the rest of this message as
web page.

Also you can read my new campaign 'Urgent, we need smile' here:
http://www.psend.com/users/unhcrlebanon/smile.html

For more info about UNHCR and life of refugees you can read my free ebooks. I
invite you as fellow humans and members of the world community to support my
campaign by reading my article on my site and see the human-buttons. The
campaign is to support and improve the UNHCR http://www.unhcr.ch especially
after the last scandals in the UN and UNHCR, just for example: The refugees
allege that UNHCR staff is selling most of the food items they are supposed to
be supplied.
"They aren't supplying sufficient food to us because they sell most of the food
items," they allege: http://allafrica.com/stories/200503140214.html

  Here is another example: Burmese Refugees Withdraw Protest Against UNHCR 
http://www.mizzima.com/archives/news-in-2005/news-in-april/12-April05-22.htm

"We make demonstration and fast because the UNHCR office in Cairo did nothing
for our problem..." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4440730.stm

Together we will build better world.

You could reach me fast via this form: http://smile.6te.net/email_me.htm and if
you like to know more about me, you can google for my name 'osam altaee'.

Thanks
THE TRUTH WARRIOR
http://unhcr.fbhosting.com