Welcome to another weird word.
This entry is actually quite personal, as it’s a word that represents a phobia I’ve been living with since I was a child.
I realise phobias can be quite nuanced, and this one is no exception. When I tell people about it I’m usually met with laughter, then lots of questions and tests to ensure I’m telling the truth.
Unfortunately, my phobia is so deep I can’t even say the word, so when I do reveal it I’m always filled with anxiety about the following conversation.
In life this phobia means I can’t use or touch the items, and if I find one randomly in a drawer I feel sick, and I have to leave the room until it’s removed as far away as possible in a place I don’t know. If affects what I can wear every day, and it’s a massive pain in the arse. No, I have no idea what triggered it.
Enough suspense – here it is.
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Koumpounophobia
Wikipedia describes koumpounophobia as
the term used to describe the phobia of clothes buttons.[1] This phobia regularly leads to feelings of fear and disgust when sufferers are exposed to buttons either visually or physically.[2] It is estimated that less than one percent of the U.S. suffers from this phobia.[3] The most common forms of treatment for koumpounophobia are behavioral therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy.[4]
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koumpounophobia
News medical has an interesting report on the cause of this phobia, which could be part of a persons genetic makeup.
https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-Causes-a-Phobia-of-Buttons.aspx
For me, the phobia means nausea and never being able to wear clothes with buttons on. I struggle to speak to word or talk about them generally, and it’s been a problem since I was small.
Thankfully my partner does any on our daughters clothes!
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Thanks for reading 💜
Creative Steph 