Gillian Linkins, 22, can’t even stand to be in the same room as friends and family who wear them.She first realized her fear aged seven, when she refused to put on her school blouse.
The sight of buttons sends Gillian into panic attacks and boyfriend Nate Dorrington, 23, can only wear clothes with zips.
She said: "I’ve had the fear as long as I remember. My mom says I freaked out when it was time to get dressed.
"I have always been fearful of buttons, especially when they are grouped together.
"For me touching a button would be like touching a cockroach. It feels dirty, nasty and wrong. When I was younger my brother used to tease me by opening my mom’s button tin. I hid in my bedroom until he put them away."




