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

What is Omphalophobia?

Omphalophobia is the Fear of Belly Buttons and, in common with 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 Omphalophobia, for example:

• You may worry that your belly button is too big or sticks-out too much
• You may dislike the way that belly buttons look.

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

On the contrary, Omphalophobia 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.

Omphalophobia Symptoms & Behaviours

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

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

• Disliking the look of belly buttons.
• Needing to go to the toilet when touching your belly button.
• Avoiding getting undressed in front of others.
• An elevated heart rate.
• A sense of dread about what might happen.
• Worrying that you might pass out.
• Feeling dizzy or disoriented.
• Having heart palpitations.
• Having a dry or sticky mouth.
• Hot sweats.
• Feeling Stressed.
• Difficulty breathing easily.
• Feelings of panic.

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

Furthermore, you should also be aware that many of these somatic symptoms (symptoms felt in the body) listed above WILL subside over time and rarely last for more than 20 to 30 minutes.

What Causes Omphalophobia?

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

You may, for example have worried that your belly button might come undone or unravel even though you know this never happens.

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

Counselling and Therapy for Omphalophobia

We can offer you a number of different types of therapy and counselling for your Omphalophobia the Fear of Belly 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 Omphalophobia on the following links:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Omphalophobia
• Counselling for Omphalophobia
• Pluralistic Therapy for the Fear of Belly 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.

Arrange your FREE initial consultation here.

If you’d like to find out more about overcoming Omphalophobia 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.