[TaraRenee]

yes, I admit it...I get in a cold sweat, heart starts pounding and I start cursing in my head to the child playing with a balloon in anticipation of it popping! Don't let it touch the tree, it'll pop! Don't let it hit the ceiling, it'll pop! Stop squeezing it, it's gonna POP POP POP! The mylar ones are fine, its just the rubber ones that make that horrible loud bang that makes me jump and colorful four letter words fly out of my mouth.

Most of my family laugh about it, my nephew taunts me with the inflatable f*****s, my son however is considerate and when offered a balloon at places like McDonald's he politely says 'no thanks' knowing that I worry it'll pop in the car as I'm driving causing me to have a wreck due to the sudden loud BANG. I don't mind them being about at parties, happily floating on their strings tied to chairs and such...I can walk past them only with a hint of concern. It's mostly when they are on the floor or kids are playing with them, punching them, biting them, etc. Distance also plays a part. The closer the burst is to me the bigger my reaction. If its a good bit away and therefore not as loud, sometimes I'll have a little jump or even nothing at all.

I know its not a very rational phobia because, other than a child choking on a bit of rubber from bursting a balloon in their mouth, they do not pose a real threat to me or others. I think it began back in elementary school when on the last day we had 'field day' and played all these team games. One of which was a relay race where we had to run to the end and sit on a balloon until it popped before tagging the next team member. Everything was going well till I got one that would just not pop! I kept bouncing on it and bouncing...when is it going to pop?! and when it did it scared me because I had gotten used to it not popping. A year or so later I had my birthday party at Burger King and of course there were BK balloons and one of the employees thought it'd be funny to show my friends how to pop a balloon by sticking them up in the ceiling fans. I ran into the restroom until it had stopped.

It is so strange because I clearly remember, as a kid, blowing up balloons and playing with them with friends and even doing that dreaded trick where you put tape on the balloon then slide a needle into it and it not popping (although sometimes it did!) so its obviously built up over the years. Normally I'll only handle a balloon on certain circumstances like when my son 'made' me a heart shaped balloon that said 'i love you' and when I was drunk at Tavern on the Green in NYC and held their cool tie-dyed balloons to my head (you could see in the photo I was clearly drunk).

So to my fellow balloon fearers, hello and hugs to all

[siljie]

That's completely understandable. I mean, it's not rational--but you're not alone. A girl who was my best friend in 5th grade had a fear of balloons, but just when they were in risk of popping like you. I have always had a MASSIVE phobia of cockroaches and get terrible panic attacks when thrust into situations involving them. Even the thought of them makes me shudder. And my whole family and friends taunt me about it too--ask much as I try to mask that I actually have a fear. So I understand the humiliation of it. Try to think of why it would have built up over time. Was there a point in time where you realized you were afraid of them or did it start out small and gradually become worse until you're where you are now? Can you think of what could have triggered your fear? I wish you the best of luck.

[lynn P.]

Hi TaraRenee - what I can say is, you're definately not alone. There's this local dollar store owned by 2 sisters in my area - I was getting some balloons inflated. The one sister said her sister will do it as she went to the back of the store. Her sister offered the explanation her sister has a fear of inflated balloons. I didn't have any reaction at all, except empathy for her. So you're not alone in this fear.

One thing that will make you feel better is - not all fears are rational, like fear of spiders or snakes. A fear can seem completely irrational to the average person, BUT it's very real and valid for you. This doesn't mean you should just accept it and I'm sure therapy would help.

One time I was blowing a ballon up for my daughter and it burst on my open eye - did it ever hurt like crazy. Ever since then I blow a ballon up with glasses on lol. I hope it gets better for you and it's cruel for family members/friends to make fun of this fear.

[Perna]

It sounds like reflex to me and a not particularly bad "phobia" to have if you want to call it that. Sounds like you can be around balloons though but don't like them versus run from/avoid them. Either that or my husband has a phobia of broccoli I don't particularly care for the sudden, out-of-my-control, popping either. Nice son! Just make sure he doesn't become "afraid" of them because you are?

[lynn P.]

Good point Perna. I suppose there could be different levels of the fear. I think the woman I mentioned has a more intense phobia. She can't even be around them while they're being inflated by someone else - has to remove herself completely.

[5-HTP]

Stick some balloons up outside.

Get some darts.

Pop the suckers.