Balloons - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Message Board

retifist · 01-16-2002, 12:03 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.

01-22-2002, 02:32 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, 07:17 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.

retifist · 03-06-2002, 11:07 AM

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.

03-07-2002, 09:55 AM

I STILL jump out of my skin if one pops!

And I'm nearly 40 too!