Koutoumouphobia. Does anyone else have it?

[TheyRepulseMe]

Phobia of buttons.

I can barely type the word.

It's not that I'm scared of them. They just physically repulse me. Make me feel sick.

I hate them I hate them.

I have always assumed that trypophobia was connected to a repulsion from some kind of biological threat, so innate (no idea if that's the case). So maybe b-things are misrecognised as some kind of unwanted creature or growth?

I do know we have a kind of built in pattern recognition in our visual perception eg for large and potentially threatening animals . There is a tree stump on my daily walk that I instantaneously "read" as a crouching animal Every. Single. Day. Even though a split second later I remember it is a tree stump.

So maybe these issues are related?

I know someone with this, I think it is not a super rare phobia. I have trypophobia, not writing out what it is, you’ll have to google! I found out mine isn’t that rare either after thinking it was

Oh my goodness, more people on here with trypophobia. I thought I was the only one, it is reassuring to know I'm not on my own.

Well, phobia is a Greek word, so I guess it's more coherent for the whole word to be Greek (or Greek-ish).

A great many phobias are made up. I just invented ailurokoinophobia which is a fear of online cat videos.

It is more common than you may think. If you want to stop having it, I suggest seeing an NLP practioner, who should be able to help with this in one session

Yes my sister has had this since a child! Also a phobia of coins, esp copper ones. Not sure what she’s got against round things 😅 glad it’s got a name

I have a hunch that mine was also triggered by a junior school experience...dinner lady had a massive growth on her lower inner arm and almost always walked around with her sleeve rolled up. She used to wipe the table down right in front of you, which triggered my gag reflex.

My brother has this, on clothes ok, but he says if he opens a drawer and there is a loose button it makes him feel sick

I googled trypophobia and shuddered and shut the page quickly. Now have goosebumps.

i don’t think i have anything as severe as a phobia about what came up, but id just rather not see them thanks. Weird feeling of absolute ugh.

Yes! Not me but a close family member. Absolutely terrified of them - fine if they're on clothing, but if there was a random one, say, on a table or in a packet hanging off clothing, she totally freaks out. Also, like a jar of buttons is her worst nightmare!

My grandson has it. Apparently it is not as rare as one might think. He will not cuddle me if I am wearing anything with buttons. School uniform is a headache. He is OK in Primary but secondary will be a challenge is he has to wear shirts

I have the button (shudder, could barely type the word there) phobia too. I never ever wear shirts or blouses, I can sort of deal with them on jeans or trousers since they're generally covered by your top (I can't tuck my tops in for this reason) and I only buy wrap or zip-up coats.

I will say, though, that if they're in their rightful place (ie sewn onto the garment), they're sort of bearable. If I saw one that had dropped on the floor, though, I don't think I could bring myself to pick it up. When you see a loose one that someone has picked up and put on a shelf or something, that actually makes me feel physically sick and I'd have to cover it up with something so as not to look at it.

I have this too. Small ones on shirts are the absolute worst. The idea of being near someone wearing Pearly King or Queen outfit is absolutely revolting for me.

The movie Coraline is a hard no as well.

Gosh, yes.

Mine was learning to ride a bike, falling off on gravel, and bits of gravel stuck in my knee, lots of them, and my Mum having to get them out with tweezers and squeezing them out, leaving lots of holes in my knee.

I have only self diagnosed by the way but it makes sense to me that my trypophobia comes from that....

It seems surprisingly common. I do wonder it has a common root to trypophobia, even if people tend to have one and not both. I would love to know why it's so common. I'm only trypophobic which is much easier - no one tries to put bunches of tiny holes on everyday jeans and shirts.

Poppered duvet covers seem to be getting harder and harder to find. I wonder if all you b-n phobic people are now driving the sales of coverless duvets.

I can relate. Though frankly I lack glamour so I was probably a Victorian cushion in my former life.

I'm not bothered by buttons, but corduroy..... 😱

If I know someone is wearing it, I can kind of steel myself to be in the vicinity, but if I'm rifling through a rack of clothes and touch some by accident, bleurggh. Awful.

Jumbo cords are the worst, and I am so glad they are not fashionable at the moment.

Interesting, I love corduroy as does my autistic sensory seeker DC. Udon noodles OTOH, ugh. Normal noodles fine, giant ones really wrong. Ditto giant couscous.

Aren't brains bizarre?

My DD has this phobia. When she was a toddler I always wondered why she wouldn’t hug DH when he was in work clothes. Learned years later it was the buttons on his shirt!

Yep me too.
I can just about cope with some buttons on clothing but if they're loose I head for the hills. I feel quite sick, it is odd I know. Husband does the bedding, cause that has these huge cloth covered feckers and they give me the heebs.

My family and my best freind know and will tease me every now and then. When the kids were little none of their clothes had buttons on. They do their own washing now so can wear what they like and I donlt have to touch them!!

We're a zips on hoodies family !

I think it came from primary school when we did gym and had these bean bags that were full of buttons not beans and one burst all over me.

A pearly king and queen - my worst nightmare 🤢😩

I don’t have a phobia but I don’t like them particularly.

I never buy anything with decorative buttons on it because they look stupid to me, & there’s something really creepy looking about people with the top button done up on a polo shirt. Other shirts too but polos especially.

At the same time I know very well that it’s irrational.

I dont have it, but whenever phobias are mentioned it ALWAYS comes up so I dont think its as unusual as some are saying.

Yep, my son! He’s got better as he’s got older but as a teenager he used to retch and break out in a sweat if he touched one!

Just to add ….ive just remembered, He was worse in junior school, but once in seniors they had to wear polo shirts as part of their uniform. Now I realise why he came home on PE days with the shirt wide open!!