Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Life-Long Phobia of Balloons

I just showed Chelsea the gif in the last post, and while she found it funny, she explained that she developed a fear of balloons in middle school. I didn't take it too seriously at first, but when she said she would start hyperventilating, get a racing heart, and trembling if she was even in the same room with a balloon, I was startled. I had never heard of balloon phobia before. Turns out there are two distinct varieties, each with their own name: one is a fear of balloons popping, classed as a fear of loud noises, and the other is a fear of balloons themselves. According to WikiAnswers,
Fear of balloons popping is a very common form of irritation and can be categorized as fear of loud noises: Ligyrophobia. The fear of balloons, by itself, is Globophobia.
Chelsea says she doesn't know what caused the phobia. I have a couple of Tim Curry video clips backburnered that I want to post sometime, so he's been on my mind. I wonder if this phobia isn't his fault?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

the only person to blame is the person who design the balloons to pop

Anonymous said...

I have glopophobia or that other one, I don't really know how to separate them. I fear the popping of balloons only, they make me nervous to the point were when I know balloons are going to be at a party or a event and the night before I will have an anxiety attack. Recently it was my brothers wedding and the night before the event I was in the phone to my mum, the mere mention of the balloons present at the reception made my night disaster 101. My lips went numb and my hands were heavy and tingly, falling against wall to wall I could barley ring myself to call to my husband to help. Problem is I have no idea when this all began, i ask myself daily is this a life long thing can I get out of it cause even I can recognize its ridiculous but I don't know how to stop it.