To have phobia of small metal objects?

[sniffle12]

I know I am being unreasonable (definition of phobia!) but want to know if there is anyone else out there. A quick Google shows me this is more common than I thought and curious to know if anybody has found anything that has helped.

Since I was around 9 I have been unable to touch (or touched reluctantly/with immense disgust) small metal objects such as jewellery, coins, keys that aren't my own (although I will always pick up even my own keys by the plastic bit), etc. Although I have less need to encounter/touch other objects, it would be the same for any small metal object e.g. those display cabinets in antiques shops that are just full of random objects like tiny spoons = want to vomit. I will touch change to hand it over in a shop but as briefly as possible, and I then have to rub my hand on my clothes and then can still feel a 'sensation' where it touched for ages afterwards. If someone has left some change on a desk nearby at work or is say, messing with their ring taking it repeatedly off and on again, I can't concentrate and just want to get away.

I do have a general 'thing' about cleanliness so that's probably where it's come from and likely my brain has taken it too far and too specific - as there are all sorts of things I touch in a day which must have your regular amount of germs on (e.g. work keyboard, bathroom doors) with no problem.

Oh my god - this is a thing? I have hated touching change all my life and always thought it was just me. Always have a sensation I m about to throw up but know I won't! Never got my ears pierced, wear my wedding ring but nothing else - all because I HATE small metal objects!!!

Wouldn't mind but sometimes I read other "hygiene" threads on here and think I must be a bit of a slob as really not OTT on hygiene in other areas of my life....but metal ughhh!

This is why I love mumsnet - no matter WHAT comes up as a topic there is always someone else who "gets" it!!!😀 I have found my kind of people here!

Hello, I just wanted to check in to say hi! I have been phobic of metal for as long as I can remember and have always thought I was simply bonkers. It's incredible to find I am not alone! I can't stand handling money, I don't wear any metal jewellery, use cutlery with plastic handles and generally go to great lengths to avoid. If I hand money over when shopping I can feel the sensation until I wash my hands, it can be quite intense. It's nice to meet you!

No phobia is daft, it all stems from something. The big question is how does it impact your life, if it's disabling, maybe see your doctor to see if they can sort CBT. Sorry you're suffering.

nice to e-meet you all ! Good to know I'm not alone haha.

Have you taken any steps to getting over it or do you just get by? I have thought of getting it looked at, but I know the end product of treatment would be to freely touch these things and I don't want to! (counterproductive I know )

Oh my goodness! I thought I was the only one, I can't believe there are other people out there who suffer with the same thing as me! this is amazing!

I know I am late to the party but have you guys been able to do anything to help, or seen a doctor or anything? I am really struggling and its interfering with day to day life so much

I am similar but for me it's mainly jewellery even the word makes me feel sick. I think it must be the only phobia where people give you the phobia item for Christmas. I used to get this from relatives as a child.

Wow! I'm so glad I'm not alone in this! I always thought I'd been dropped on my head as a baby or something lol... anyways since I found others like me finally I'm gunna rant a bit, feel free to ignore me! So for me it's a few types of metal that have more effect on me than others. Does anyone else have that? For example, stainless steel effects me more than aluminium. The thing about this is I can't explain it to my family, I just can't describe the feeling! It's not exactly something you can hide from those close to you, so they did question me, and I told them, and they think I'm crazy. Fun! When I eat at school they give us all-metal forks, knives etc. and it really kills me inside to hold them and eat with them. Since as far as I know there isn't a medical term for this, I can't tell the supervisors there as they'd laugh me out of their office. Every lunchtime it's a fight between my mind and my mind, telling me to eat normally and that I'm being completely unreasonable, and this other, more dominant part telling me to avoid the metal at all costs. So since I cannot touch the metal, I wouldn't eat. I would chat with my friends and, if questioned, would say that the school food is disgusting and I wouldn't eat it. I developed so many tricks to throw my whole, untouched lunch away without teachers noticing. I know that this probably wasn't the best thing to do, I need to eat lunch, be healthy yada yada yada but it's not like I chose this. How many times I begged my mum for a homemade lunch I don't know, but she essentially told me to suck it up and that this is something you can overcome and to stop being dramatic. Think about it, that chunk of difficulty was just lunchtime alone. We could be here for YEARS if I named everything this has impacted. So, for now, does anyone have anyone hacks they use to avoid this or I would be SO SO SO SO SO GRATEFUL if you have any way you managed to overcome this. Thanks if you listened to my small rant and I'll also check this forum every few months or so

I'm back! I was looking over the internet to see if there's anything like this which is actually a condition and stumbled upon this gem! Apparently a way to stop this is by being exposed to it, slowly. I'm going to try this very slowly, using things like ' ok, this week I'll brush my hand quickly on this coin every day'. I'll be back to say if it works! Fingers crossed psychtimes.com/metallophobia-fear-of-metal/

Hi guys! I found this thread through a google search and thought I would share my experiences with this phobia. For as long as I remember I’ve struggled with this. As a child my family said I ‘hated sparkles’ and they would make me cry and I would refuse to wear clothes with sparkles on them. I have never worn jewellery. I have always struggled with metal objects not only jewellery. Regular cutlery utensils have never been an issues however I have always disliked tea spoons and have found them ‘dirty’. I also dislike coins especially the smell. Small chains for example on a bathroom plug have always made me feel uncomfortable. Rings and earrings are my least favourite types of jewellery - I think it is because they are the smallest. I also have an increased disgust when the objects are wet and if somebody was to touch the metal object with their mouth it would be the most disgusting thing to me. I would say my phobia peaked at around the age of 19. Once my ex boyfriend put his keys in his mouth and it made me throw up. People would play a game where they would throw a coin into an alcoholic drink and they would have to down it - NOT A CHANCE. This would also make me heave. I would be distracted if a friend got a new piercing or would be playing with a ring and would be unable to concentrate, fixated on my disgust.
This is something I have felt ashamed of and have only shared with few people.
In recent years (I am now aged 22) my condition is much better. I do not wear jewellery myself but do not find myself fixated on it when speaking to other people. I would still feel uncomfortable for example putting earrings in for another person and would struggle or be unable. I believe my condition has improved by small exposure. I’ve worked as a waitress and have had to deal with money constantly. I also think my mental health has improved a lot on a whole, I am typically quite an anxious person however have felt a lot more condition in the last year. I believe this has helped me be more resistant to my phobia.
Funnily my sister also shares a lot of the same ideas I do. Neither of us wear jewellery and have spoken about the disgust metal objects brings us. Even joked about what to do when we get engaged. However we haven’t spoke about this for years.
Hope this both helps people feel better realising their phobia is more common then imagined.