Exercise 9B, page 2 - English File Studetn's book, pre-intermediate, Oxford

Chloe.

Reporter: Do you have any phobias?

Chloe: Um, yes. I have a phobia of buttons.

Reporter: Buttons, on clothes?

Chloe: Uh, yes. I don't like touching them.

Reporter: Oh. And, um, how long have you had the phobia?

Chloe: All my life, I think. For as long as I can remember.

Reporter: Uh-huh. And, uh, do you know what happened to start the phobia?

Chloe: Um, I don't know exactly, but my mum has told me that when I was very little, about six or seven months old, she tried to dress me in a cardigan. A woolen cardigan with buttons that my grandmother had made for me. And apparently, I screamed and screamed until she took it off again.

Reporter: Okay. And, how does the phobia affect your life?

Chloe: Uh, it really affects the kind of clothes I can buy. Especially in the winter, when I need a coat. There aren't many coats that don't have buttons. But it's better than it was. When I was younger, I refused to wear anything that had buttons. So, for example, my mother had to adapt my school uniform, so that there were no buttons.

Reporter: Have you had any therapy?

Chloe: No, no. I haven't had any therapy. It seems such a silly thing to be afraid of.

Reporter: What about if other people are wearing clothes with buttons on? Is that okay?

Chloe: Well, if the buttons aren't touching me, that's fine. But I don't like hugging people that have buttons on their clothes.