retifist
01-16-2002, 03:03 PM
Anyone else have a fear of balloons? I get really nervous when someone comes near me with a balloon. When they pop, I get highly startled and freak.
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Zafu
01-22-2002, 05:32 PM
Yeah, I used to have that as a teenager. I was very scared of loud noises and the fear of them popping was terrifying. I used to be really scared of fireworks too....
HelloKitty
01-24-2002, 10:17 PM
OMG Retifist-
I have the same problem. I try to stay as far away from balloons as possible. I cannot bear to ride in a car with them. Once I brought it up in front of a couple friends and they thought it was hiliarious so I never said anything about it again.
I think my phobia started when I was little, I was riding home from a birthday party with a car full of kids and a balloon popped in my face. It actually left a welt on my cheek where the balloon snapped.
If I see balloons Im usually ok if they are far away. But if they get too close or if someone intentionally tries to put one in my face my heart races uncontrollably and I freak. :eek:
I have the same problem. I try to stay as far away from balloons as possible. I cannot bear to ride in a car with them. Once I brought it up in front of a couple friends and they thought it was hiliarious so I never said anything about it again.
I think my phobia started when I was little, I was riding home from a birthday party with a car full of kids and a balloon popped in my face. It actually left a welt on my cheek where the balloon snapped.
If I see balloons Im usually ok if they are far away. But if they get too close or if someone intentionally tries to put one in my face my heart races uncontrollably and I freak. :eek:
retifist
03-06-2002, 02:07 PM
I am almost 40 now, and those things STILL make me nervous. There is a few oddities to my balloon phobia though. They don't bother me if I blow them up or deliberately pop them. I can pop one myself, and it won't bother me at all, but if one just pops on its own or someone else pops one, it scares the crap out of me. I cannot stand watching a child play rough with a balloon. I just know that it will pop. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/dizzy.gif
Zafu
03-07-2002, 12:55 PM
I STILL jump out of my skin if one pops!
And I'm nearly 40 too! :round:
And I'm nearly 40 too! :round:
G_Monkey1
01-18-2004, 10:56 AM
Anyone else have a fear of balloons? I get really nervous when someone comes near me with a balloon. When they pop, I get highly startled and freak.
I have posted my own message about the above and it is a little reassuring to know that I am not the only one with this fear, please feel free to check it out.
G_Monkey1.
P.S If it is the loud noise that freaks you out like it does me, try being around the foil helium ones, it is bound to be the stretched rubber that makes the noise and apparently according to my wife the foil ones are different, and even touched one of the very small ones and felt ok I guess, yet to test the theory but logic says that it won't be as bad or bad at all, I hope that this helps you or anyone else that reads this section.
I have posted my own message about the above and it is a little reassuring to know that I am not the only one with this fear, please feel free to check it out.
G_Monkey1.
P.S If it is the loud noise that freaks you out like it does me, try being around the foil helium ones, it is bound to be the stretched rubber that makes the noise and apparently according to my wife the foil ones are different, and even touched one of the very small ones and felt ok I guess, yet to test the theory but logic says that it won't be as bad or bad at all, I hope that this helps you or anyone else that reads this section.
WingedSoul
03-27-2004, 08:57 PM
You know what? I had to live through fireworks at disney before the age of 3, and the whole time, I was screaming my head off. Now I have it on video, and try to avoid that part. I was so upset because of the noise and the lights and everything. I wanted to keep going on rides but noo, I had to be dragged along reluctantly with them to see the noisy fireworks so they could enjoy them. Needless to say, I wrecked their evening by screaming the whole time.
alternaace
04-07-2004, 08:42 PM
I've had a balloon phobia as long as I can remember. Dont know when/why it started. It usually doesn't bother me if they're just sitting there and it's obvious that nobody or nothing will pop them....BUT the second I'm say, at the store and they're blowing them up in the floral section, or if i see people playing with them...you better give me a heavy regimen of Xanax!!! I have a pretty bad fear of loud sudden noises in general because my reaction is so severe...i jump more than most, my heart continues to pound (and this happens even when i don't know a loud noise is going to happen...for instance, a car backfiring) Think it's psychologically rooted or maybe I have an actual physical condition? (that causes my overreactions)
ChrisSm
04-19-2004, 11:57 AM
Hi, guys. I used to have this phobia. I wanted to cure it, so, some years ago, over a period of weeks, I went out and bought balloons, took them home and, starting with small and gradually increasing levels of inflation, I proceeded to burst them in different ways - pins, stamping, sitting, etc.. Eventually, I could do this without fear - in fact I came to really enjoy it and now I find it fun! Maybe you should try something similar. If you get over this fear, you may well come to enjoy it! Bye. Chris. (prochaxy2@hotmail.com)
opielonghorn
04-21-2004, 11:47 AM
hello everyone
i am in cognitive behavioral therapy right now for this problem. when i was a child i was terrified of balloons, but i learned to keep rigid control of myself as i got older. recently, however, i found myself starting to get nervous around them again, so i have decided to try and wipe this out once and for all. so far it has been going well, but i still get discouraged a lot when i think that i might never beat this. i will keep you all posted on how it is going, so that maybe i can be some source of inspiration.
i am in cognitive behavioral therapy right now for this problem. when i was a child i was terrified of balloons, but i learned to keep rigid control of myself as i got older. recently, however, i found myself starting to get nervous around them again, so i have decided to try and wipe this out once and for all. so far it has been going well, but i still get discouraged a lot when i think that i might never beat this. i will keep you all posted on how it is going, so that maybe i can be some source of inspiration.
Ardwinna
04-23-2004, 10:37 PM
Yep, I hate balloons too! The anticipation of them popping is unbearable! Fireworks give me the extreme willies!
opielonghorn
05-04-2004, 05:12 PM
just wanted to let everyone know that it has been less than two months in cbt and i am already making unbelievable progress. it is worth every penny and i highly recommend it. my therapist is really nice and whenever i think i can't handle something she breaks it into smaller steps that i can handle. never in a million years did i imagine that i would be able to blow up a balloon and let it go pointed at my face, but i did just that today.
will continue to keep you posted
-o
will continue to keep you posted
-o
Portia26
05-04-2004, 05:23 PM
First, congrats to you opie! I do want to add though, I think this balloon problem is more of a phobia than an OCD obsession. Just my two cents.
opielonghorn
05-11-2004, 06:37 PM
portia, you are totally right, it is specific phobia. but the weird thing is that after i started therapy it was brought to my attention how much of this phobia is about control. i obsess about the balloon popping and scaring me, so i go into a frenzy of anxiety trying to prevent that from happening, and to control my reaction so that i'm not embarrassed. i would guess a lot of the people who posted here saying they have the same problem are a little ocd in their regular lives, like i am.
anyway, i'm still plugging along. will keep you all posted.
anyway, i'm still plugging along. will keep you all posted.
eeuuww
05-30-2004, 04:06 AM
I can't believe I found this site. I was feeling anxious tonight about my fireworks phobia, did a search on the internet and found this site. I too am afraid of balloons and fireworks. I actually thought I was over the balloons phobia until I was around some kids the other day that were playing with balloons and I felt very uncomfortable. Any suggestions on how to get over this? I've also been working on the fireworks phobia but it's a tough one because fireworks are illegal in California. If you have any ideas of how I can work on this one, that would be great too.
So glad to know that there are other people out there with the same phobias. It's tough because phobias of balloons and fireworks are not common and not generally well received in our society. As a result, I feel like there is something wrong with me; I feel weak. I find comfort in knowing I'm not alone in my fears.
So glad to know that there are other people out there with the same phobias. It's tough because phobias of balloons and fireworks are not common and not generally well received in our society. As a result, I feel like there is something wrong with me; I feel weak. I find comfort in knowing I'm not alone in my fears.
mon1245
08-09-2005, 02:33 AM
well i can be around balloons i can hold them i just hate when people pop them i also can be around fireworks but i block my ears i just hate loud noises.
jen_thomson
08-09-2005, 01:54 PM
yes! yes! yes! I can't even walk by a display containing balloons...must walk on *other* side of isle, mall, whatever...how funny....didn't know this was so common :)
We're so cool...
We're so cool...
Lolita511
01-06-2006, 09:40 PM
I am soooo happy I found this forum!!! I have been TERRIFIED of Balloons, Fireworks, anything that goes "BANG" way too loud!! I can't go to parties where there are balloons...no 4th of July...no New Year's...If I go to Disney and the firework show starts I HAVE TO get inside somewhere....THANK GOD I'm not alone!!! Is anyone using any method of dealing with the fear that works??? I've tried hypnosis but that only worked ONCE...I tired it recently and "no dice"!!!
ui1
05-27-2006, 01:41 PM
Anyone else have a fear of balloons? I get really nervous when someone comes near me with a balloon. When they pop, I get highly startled and freak.
Same I hate when poeple start poppng balloons or blowing them up
Same I hate when poeple start poppng balloons or blowing them up
eeuuww
06-22-2006, 05:38 PM
Since my last posting, I have done some hypnosis and listened to CDs from the Phobia Clinic. Can't say that I don't have a fear of loud noises anymore, but I feel a little better able to cope with it. As my therapist kept telling me, if I can remain relaxed while being exposed to the thing that stresses me out (balloons and fireworks) that I wouldn't be afraid. She said that it's impossible to feel relaxed and fear at the same time. I doubted her until I started practicing meditation and hypnosis. Now when I start feeling the fear, I just tell myself to relax. I take as many deep breaths as I can and do my best to relax.
I'm still really afraid of being around balloons and fireworks, but I feel like I'm making some progress. Hope this helps!
http://www.changethatsrightnow.com/
http://www.hypnosisnetwork.com/hypnosis/stress_anxiety.php
I'm still really afraid of being around balloons and fireworks, but I feel like I'm making some progress. Hope this helps!
http://www.changethatsrightnow.com/
http://www.hypnosisnetwork.com/hypnosis/stress_anxiety.php
skwurl_27
06-22-2006, 08:23 PM
Wow--I can't believe other people have the same fear of balloons and fireworks that I do! As long as I can remember, I've been afraid of both. Especially balloons, maybe because they're around more than fireworks! It used to drive my parents absolutely crazy when I was a kid. They would always yell at me to get my fingers out of my ears! I would see a balloon, or a kid blowing up a balloon, and panic! I would try to run the other way. My parents went so far as to hire a clown for my 7th b-day to try to break my fear! Well, he came to the door, and I wouldn't let him in! They finally calmed me down, and I made the clown promise that he wouldn't pop any balloons. I didn't like clowns either, come to think of it. I think both are very unpredictable, and that's what scared me.
I guess as an adult I've made a little progress, but not much. I still am very nervous around balloons, and I have to watch fireworks with my ears plugged. I don't know if this is an anxiety/OCD type thing, or just a phobia in general.
I guess as an adult I've made a little progress, but not much. I still am very nervous around balloons, and I have to watch fireworks with my ears plugged. I don't know if this is an anxiety/OCD type thing, or just a phobia in general.
Tolly
07-18-2006, 09:36 PM
I have the same balloon / fireworks / party poppers phobia for around 29 years. Have just seeked some professional advice and am trying EMDR therapy - had first session yesterday. It was great to be able to talk about this to someone with professional knowledge of phobic situations, and that in itself has helped to get thoughts out. Looking further into the situation my therapist is thinking that although I was traumatised at a very young age with balloons and other loud noises, it may have been triggered by another emotional event that coincided around a similar time. Also appears to come down to a control issue - control over the balloon itself, others in control when I can not control what is going on, plus not being in control of my reactions. I will keep you posted as to the EMDR therapy and any other techniques that may be used that work. Am looking forward to a more comfortable life around them in the future.
linzatorange
10-06-2006, 11:24 AM
I am so happy to read this, and that I'm not the only one. Just curious though. Does anyone else find them scary, even when they haven't been inflated???? Even that horrible smell gets me. Also, the scraping sound that peoples hands make on them.
Therag
10-06-2006, 03:58 PM
My mum has a phobia. It all happened at a family get together at Christmas. We were playing with a balloon, I must have been 6 at the time, when my mums cousin hit it and the knot on the balloon hit my mums eye, it didn't do any damage but it hurt and made her eye water.
gymcoach97
07-01-2007, 01:56 AM
I have the same balloon / fireworks / party poppers phobia for around 29 years. Have just seeked some professional advice and am trying EMDR therapy - had first session yesterday. It was great to be able to talk about this to someone with professional knowledge of phobic situations, and that in itself has helped to get thoughts out. Looking further into the situation my therapist is thinking that although I was traumatised at a very young age with balloons and other loud noises, it may have been triggered by another emotional event that coincided around a similar time. Also appears to come down to a control issue - control over the balloon itself, others in control when I can not control what is going on, plus not being in control of my reactions. I will keep you posted as to the EMDR therapy and any other techniques that may be used that work. Am looking forward to a more comfortable life around them in the future.
I would love to get an update as to whether or not the EMDR therapy has been able to help you.
I would love to get an update as to whether or not the EMDR therapy has been able to help you.
Hol
08-31-2007, 04:15 PM
Nothing wrong with the foil balloons because they don't go bang. A rubber balloon went off in my face when I was 3 years old. I was really frightened after that. Because of my fear, other kids taunted me at school with balloons which made me much worse and now at 44 years old, I'm absoloutely terrified of them. Any social do that has them is a total nightmare for me. I just stay away from anything like that. If a balloon comes anywhere near me I run away yelling. I jump very easily and if anything suddenly goes bang, I freak out very badly. I wonder if this has anything to do with me being a musician and having very sesitive ears. By the way I don't play for functions (Balloons again). It upsets me when people think I'm weird with my fear. I think other people are weird for associating these ghastly things with pleasure. They make horrible noises and smell really nasty. Ban them!!
seriousperson
08-31-2007, 11:39 PM
It's too bad that the balloon thing keeps you from playing music at functions. This type of fear would be a good candidate for exposure and response prevention therapy. Basically, you would expose yourself to balloons in small doses and work up to greater exposure. The response prevention part means that you would continue to expose yourself to the balloon at, say, a particular distance, until your anxiety had subsided. Maybe you could even start with an uninflated balloon.
My mother has fears of water and storms that started similarly with a bad experience in her youth. The water fear has prevented her from enjoying swimming for 78 years. But that's not such a big deal. What is a big deal is all the time she has spent being afraid.
My mother has fears of water and storms that started similarly with a bad experience in her youth. The water fear has prevented her from enjoying swimming for 78 years. But that's not such a big deal. What is a big deal is all the time she has spent being afraid.