Koumpounophobia

Post Reply New Topic

For me, personally, a spider. But I would rather not hold either.

I can look at a spider without any real problem, but I can't look at buttons or pictures of them, without my skin crawling.

Brrrrrr!! !!

It can spoil a TV programme or a film that I maybe watching, sometimes.

Well... Nikola Tesla, the famous inventor and rival of Thomas Edison, had a revulsion to pearl necklasses on women.

Something about pearl necklasses just set his teeth on edge.

So go figure.

But he had many eccentricities.

For me the only thing like that that comes to mind is styrofoam.

Love to see a styrofoam cup burning in a fire -hate the stuff in every other context. Something about it- the look, the feel, the sound,- uhh!

But it doesnt spoil a movie for me to see a styrofoam container on screen.
But when your driving a car to your picnic site with a bunch of stryofoam chests bouncing and rubbing against each other-making that squeeking sound- its awful! It just racks your nerves.

Am able to drink hot coffe out of a styrofoam cup, but much prefer a paper cup. So I thank God that Seven-eleven type places seem to have all switched to paper cups these days.

Styrofoam, that is the same kinda thing as Polystyrene, right?

That's a first for me, hearing that.

I like wearing clothes with buttons because I fiddle with them. However, I'm terrified of choking on them.

had to look it up, but yes
here is an image I found of styrofoam/polystyrene cup, for those in different countries who may call it something else... styrofoam cup

That's the stuff. I thought that was what you meant. I actually like to bite into those and leave a nice imprint of my teeth.

Sorry if that description bothers you.

I have a phobia of spider webs. They don't even have an official name for it.

I am genuinely surprised that there is no name for that.

It seems like it could be quite common.

Fear of spiders is "arachnaphobia".

Which presumably is what you really have ( you're afraid that if you walk into the web youll get the spider on you - I assume).

If you really have a fear of spider webs and not of spiders then I dont know of any word for that.

Last edited by naturalplastic on 21 Jul 2012, 6:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I'm OK with metal or plastic buttons- BUT wooden... euaaarg! Can't stand handling small wooden objects of any description. Lollypop sticks are my nemesis. I can manage larger wooden objects without too much trouble, I actually enjoy working with wood for large constructions so long as I wear gloves.

I think my partner (NT, with some AS tendencies) has this. I would say he has a "fear" but he strongly dislikes buttons. He hates them and I don't think I've ever seen him wear anything other than school uniform (back in "the day") with buttons.

Because he bothers with buttons so little, he has trouble with them now, so that just makes it worse!
I don't understand it, but I don't question it either, just like he is with my particularities and phobias.

I'm afraid of the webs whether there is a spider in them or not. I can't stand touching them and won't go in places where I might come in contact with them, like the basement. I even had nightmares about spiderwebs as a kid.

I've just come across this forum and was wondering if anyone has any useful tips.

My 11 year old daughter has Aspergers and has had a severe phobia of buttons since she was a toddler. She is terrified of any type of button, popper or sewn-in label and won't even have a duvet cover on her bed. She runs out of the house screaming if anyone appears wearing a shirt and insists I wash my hands when she wants a cuddle in case I've come into contact with buttons during the day.

Her primary school wasn't a problem as they wore polo shirts and I used to buy them and whip the buttons off quick and tell her I'd bought special buttonless ones. With them being an airtex type material she didn't notice any telltale holes where the buttons had been as she won't wear clothes even if I remove the buttons as she inspects everything for the signs of buttons having been present and won't wear anything she suspects might have had contact with buttons.

Her therapist says her phobia is severe and she doubts my daughter will ever 'grow out' of it. The therapist did try CBT and other strategies and we even had a film crew visit once as they were filming a docu about button phobia (it was never released).

Home life is fine as we all unconsciously avoid buying anything with buttons on now but she is starting mainstream secondary school soon and they wear white shirts, a blazer and even their P.E. kit is a buttoned top. She is not stressing at all about the change of schools and routine but she is refusing to wear the shirts and blazer. I bought a shirt and removed the buttons, sewed it up and put a piece of velcro at the top. It took me ages to do one shirt and my fingers were sore after sewing through velcro but she refused to even try it on and burst into tears saying I wasn't being fair on her.

What am I doing to do? I feel really sorry for her as her fear is absolutely genuine - I've seen her vomit when she walked into the therapists office for the first time and the therapist was wearing a blouse - she literally ran out of the building and straight across a road in a blind panic. Luckily the road was empty but it could have turned out a lot worse. I also get frustrated with her as she can't verbalise why she is so disgusted and terrified by buttons as she clams up when asked.

Does anyone know of anywhere that sells white school blouses or shirts without buttons or have any suggestions?