All About Koumpounophobia, the Fear of Buttons, and How to Overcome it with Psychological Therapy & Counselling

What is Koumpounophobia?

Koumpounophobia is the Fear of Buttons and, like all other fears and phobias, can cause significant anxiety and stress if you suffer from it.

There may be a number of reasons why you developed Koumpounophobia, for example:

• You may have been chastised for not doing up your buttons properly on your clothes.
• You may have inherited the fear of Buttons from a parent who suffered from it.

Furthermore, although phobias are often described as ‘disorders’, there is no valid scientific evidence that Koumpounophobia is the result of any kind of biological fault or chemical imbalance as proposed in the biomedical models of mental illness.

On the contrary, Koumpounophobia is much more likely to be the result of your own, subjective evaluation (what you think your experiences mean) of what happened to you and is therefore better described as a psychosocial symptom.

Koumpounophobia Symptoms & Behaviours

All phobias, including Koumpounophobia, create feelings of anxiety because phobic objects or situations are always perceived as a threat.

Consequently, the symptoms of Koumpounophobia are both specific and generic and may include:

• Fear or anxiety about being in the presence of Buttons.
• Panic attacks or anxiety attacks in situations where Buttons are present or anticipated to be present.
• Avoidance of clothing that utilises Buttons.
• Physical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, sweating, trembling, and shortness of breath when faced with Buttons.
• Feeling of helplessness or being out of control in the presence of Buttons.
• Intrusive thoughts or nightmares related to Buttons.
• Depression, irritability, or other mood changes related to Buttons.

You may have all, some or even different symptoms to these listed here and this is due to the subjective nature of Koumpounophobia.

However, it is important to be aware that your symptoms WILL subside over time and rarely last for more that 20 to 30 minutes.

What Causes Koumpounophobia?

it is likely that your Koumpounophobia is the result of either traumatic experiences or adverse situations that you experienced at some point in your life.

It is often linked to obsessive thinking around buttons which are missing or not done-up on clothing and which looks ‘wrong’.

What’s more, because the Fear of Buttons has never been linked to any biological factors, the most likely explanation for your Koumpounophobia is the way that you understood and made sense of your earlier experiences.

Counselling and Therapy for Koumpounophobia

We can offer you a number of different types of therapy and counselling for your Koumpounophobia the Fear of Buttons.

Choosing the most suitable therapy depends on a number of different considerations including factors such as:

• How long you have had your phobia.
• Your personal preferences.
• How your phobia is affecting you today.

You can read more about the different types of therapy for Koumpounophobia on the following links:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Koumpounophobia
• Counselling for Koumpounophobia
• Pluralistic Therapy for the Fear of Buttons

Although all forms of psychotherapy use slightly different approaches, the one thing they all have in common is the relationship that is formed between the client and therapist.

Furthermore, research also suggests that the therapy relationship may be the most important factor in achieving a good therapy outcome.

Could Reality Therapy Be Right For You?

Reality Therapy is an approach which argues that your Koumpounophobia, the fear of buttons, is a product of the way that you think internally and not the result of any kind of external influence.

It also argues that any past experiences which you may believe are the cause of your phobia, are no longer influential because those situations are no longer happening and therefore do not exist.

By teaching you how to take responsibility for the way that you feel, Reality Therapy can help you to stop creating the anxiety and stress associated with your phobic trigger as well as significantly improve the sense of control you have over the trajectory of your life going forward.

Arrange your FREE initial consultation here.

If you’d like to find out more about overcoming Koumpounophobia or recovering from related mental health problems then why not arrange a free initial consultation with us.

During this consultation we will discuss your particular phobia and the different types of mental health counselling we offer without you having to commit to any counselling going forward.

The consultation lasts around 50 minutes and is a great opportunity to meet with either Paul or Joan and decide if you would like to proceed with any support.