Hi everyone, I discovered the site a while back while looking for info
on my phobia. At the time I knew I wasn't the only person who suffered
with it as I'd heard the phobia mentioned on on of those 'true or
false' type programs on TV. However, it was very interesting to learn
how so many of the symptoms seem to be close to universal. I too
dislike shirt buttons most. For me, the worst ones are the ones on
polo shirts, with the rimmed edges. I tend to keep my mouth closed
when I see buttons because I hate the idea of them near/in my mouth.
It's funny, because I can recall playing with the buttons my grandma
kept in a large tin when I was little, with no problems at all,
probably because few of them were shirt buttons. My mum came up with a
theory that the phobia could have been triggered by times when I may
have felt suffocated while having a jumper or shirt with buttons on
pulled down over my head. The buttons may have been pulled over my
face, causing the bad association.
I don't tend to wear anything with buttons on, although I know I'm not
as badly affected as many seem to be. I CAN wear clothes with buttons
on, even ones which require the button to touch my skin (but only in
cases where the button is at least 3/4 inch wide). If a piece of
clothing I want to buy has a button I'm not comfortable with on it,
but I want the clothes badly enough I'll probably take the clothes
home and cut the button off. I'll also probably wash the scissors
afterwards as that is another thing that I do that matches other
people; I wash my hands after touching buttons. Not for 30 mins like
some people have said they do, but I do feel compelled to wash them.
Mostly, I believe, because I'm concerned I might pick up food with the
same hand and transfer what I can only describe as the button-ness to
the food. It's like I somehow imagine buttons leave some sort of
indefinable mark on things, but that mark isn't permanent and can be
cleaned by water.
I'm also phobic of jewellery, but I didn't really start thinking of
this as a seperate phobia until recently, as in a way it seemed even
sillier than being button phobic. I don't like touching things like
necklaces, earrings and bracelets, especially if they have some
variety of round part that's the sort of size of a button. Other types
I don't like are thin chains, some thick chains, some small pendants.
The way I feel about things like these is the same as about buttons.
I'd rather not have to look at/touch them if possible. With both cases
(buttons and jewellery), if I'm in a situation in which I deem it
acceptable to remove the object from my current location or cover it
in some way, I probably would.
I didn't start calling what I had a phobia until about 4 years ago.
Until then, what I felt and the word phobia hadn't really connected.
Once I knew I had a phobia I felt relieved, even more so to realise it
wasn't a unique trait. Uncommon, not unique. While it does affect my
everyday life and clothes shopping in particular, I'd have
reservations about having hypnotherapy for it as I think character
flaws are interesting and I consider it to be part of who I am.
Anyways, I've rambled on too long. If anyone feels like chatting I'm
happy to share stories. ^_^