<PRE>I have two wierd phobias- one is of balloons popping and the other is of the things at amusement parks that dress up like disney characters- I call them things... have no idea why- or what the name is..... thanks!!

a girl i work w/ in new orleans is deathly afraid of balloons. we had a party for another coworker and had to hide the balloons upstairs so she would come to work. wierd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I TOO HAVE A VERY STRONG FEAR OF BALLOONS POPPING. MY JOB SOMETIMES REQUIRES THAT I BLOW UP LARGE QUANTITIES OF BALLOONS FOR CUSTOMERS. I WISH THERE WAS A NAME FOR THIS VERY STRANGE BUT REAL FEAR. LET ME KNOW IF YOU COME UP WITH ONE!!.

I fear firecrackers, balloons, popping bags, anything with a sudden BANG!!...any loud bang.....it drives me nuts!!

Hey, I dont know if you still do the phobia thing. But, I was reading it and had a submission if ya wanted to put it on there. I also have a fear of balloons popping. And, it's great to see that i'm not the only one. I avoid parties of all kind, and If I go anywhere w/balloons I am constantly thinking of how to get rid of them w/out anyone knowing, or a way to escape the place w/out being rude. It's crazy, but true. I've been that way ever since I was a kid, and it sucks.

i also have a phobia of putting ballons in my mouth, you know the latex ones not the alumin ones, when i was little i was blowing one up and it popped in my face and ever since then i was afraid of them, i mean i can look at them but i hate touching the already blown up ones or putting them in my mouth...than also i have the fear of heights and the dark, well thank you again for your time!!!

Wow! I thought I was the only one. I get so uncomfortable around balloons! I'm so sure they are going to pop that I can't stand to be near them. Once I saw a kid with a balloon on a string coming toward me and started getting nervous. When he got almost beside me the @!":":!!! thing popped and part of it landed on me. I almost fainted. I hate unexpected loud noises too. If I'm at a play and think they might fire a gun, I sit there like an idiot with my fingers in my ears. Thanks for your website.

HI! I have a HUGE fear of Balloons.I always thought it was kind of strange. But after visiting this site i figured that there were alot more stranger things to be scared of....like women. lol

It's a relief knowing that I'm not the only want with this fear. Whenever there's balloons present, I get very uncomfortable. I just want to get some distance between them and myself, and I always fear they're going to spontaneosly pop. Some of my friends, who knew of this fear used to torment me by chasing me with balloons in their hands, blowing them bigger and bigger until they would pop, or rubbing them, causing that horrible screeching sound that just predicts popping. When I was just a kid, this usually sent me running away. Aren't children adorable?

I aactually have 3 fears: 1) Fear of pyrotechnics (thinking about the "f" word evokes fear and bad memories) 2) Fear of balloons popping 3) Fear of merry-go-rounds (because of the face painting on them) 1: Had a traumatic experience with the biggest bangs when I was 2 years old. Now, I live in a state were they sell them (I used to live in California where they did not sell them). So, it became a much worse fear. By the way, I'm a safety freak when it comes to this fear--e.g., professionals should only do them, et cetera. 2: Had a traumatic experience around 4 years old. I like playing with balloons and all, but when other people are around, I could guarantee someone could pop them. I like them when I have them and play with them because I do not pop them. 3: Had an interesting experience when I was 2 years old. I kinda had a fear of falling off of the carousel horses too. Once, I saw a face painted carousel horse when I was 2, I literally screamed bloody murder. I'll probably get over this fear soon. I think fear of pyrotechnics (fireworks) should be named: pyrotechnophobia. Fear of balloons popping should be: popbaphobia. Fear of merry-go-rounds: carouselophobia. Freud says that the first five years of your life are the most critical.

I also have a strong phobia of balloons. When they are around I have to put my fingers in my ears and scrunch my eyes tight shut from fear of them bursting, even when the balloon is on the television screen (as I learnt this very morning, which is what inspired me to go look for an unusual phobia site). I try to keep as much distance as possible between me and the balloon. I would never dare to blow one up, not only from fear of bursting in my face, but because of the possibility that the air you put into the balloon might reverse on you and burst your lungs. See, at least this is a sensible phobia!

Hi! I have a huge fear of balloons, more in particular when they pop. I am so scared of them that if I blow up balloons that someone has to tie them for me. I really don't like when a kid is playing with a balloon. My other fear is of socks. I will wear them only when I have to. (Cold weather) I seriously freak out when my boyfriend puts his feet in my lap and he still has his socks on. The feel of them makes me shiver.. Ugh!

I have a fear of static electricity. I haven't found anything about a phobia of static electricity anywhere so here's a new pone. My one friend has a fear of mustard and she said she starts crying even if she just sees the bottle. My mom told me when she and my aunt were really young that my aunt was petrified of shriveled balloons. Strange but funny.

I know this has been mentioned but I'm pretty scared of balloons...unless they're in a "secure" place and it doesnt seem like nobody or nothing will pop them.

I have a fear of balloons. May seem quite tame, but I thought I'd mention it as my friends laugh at me for it (whoo, social support!) and it gets in the way at some parties... Thing is, I can't find a name for it. A proper long name so I can say, "Oh, I'm [blank]aphobic" and make people take me seriously! I'm scared of balloons with regular air or helium, when they're being blown up or thrown around, the bouncy fairgroud balloons and balloon animals are terrifying...just balloons!

My husband has a phobia of balloons. and has suggested that my button phobia is closely related to circle phobias. I was amazed when he told me that some people are terrified of circles. It is inherent in all of us, and comes from the days when we were just cells, but my button phobia is not a fear, so it doesn't quite fit the box. Perhaps somebody upset me as a child and they happened to be wearing a clothing item with buttons on.

I'm terrified of balloons - I will scream and go into shock if confronted by a balloon, particularly in the hands of children. All my life I have been tormented by and because of balloons.

I was over the moon to find so many normal people like me with phobias of balloons and loud noise. I don't leave the house during the month of November because of fireworks and even inside the house I feel like I'm trapped in some hellish nightmare. Balloons are really loud when they burst and I can fullly sympathise with people who can't stand them in the hands of small children. Thanks for such a fab website!!

My husband has a phobia of balloons. and has suggested that my button phobia is closely related to circle phobias. I was amazed when he told me that some people are terrified of circles. It is inherent in all of us, and comes from the days when we were just cells, but my button phobia is not a fear, so it doesn't quite fit the box. Perhaps somebody upset me as a child and they happened to be wearing a clothing item with buttons on.

I have the weirdest and strangest fear ever i think. im 13 years old and i have been afraid terribly of balloons since i was 3. People enjoy chasing me around with blown up or just flat balloons because they get the pleasure of me crying or seeing if ill really cry. Once i was freaking out so bad i started hyperventilating and i kind of had a asthma attack even though i don't have asthma. well i had to be taken to the emergency room and supplied with oxygen. now pretty much the whole school and high school knows about my fear of balloons and no one has balloons at parties or any event. i can't even stand to be any where around them. im ok if i cant see them but some how i can feel their presence and i don't know it is just a really weird thing i freak out and am scared to death over. someday maybe something will overcome me and i'll just magically love balloons but i highly doubt it.

Hi! I have a huge fear of balloons, more in particular when they pop. I am so scared of them that if I blow up balloons that someone has to tie them for me. I really don't like when a kid is playing with a balloon. My other fear is of socks. I will wear them only when I have to. (Cold weather) I seriously freak out when my boyfriend puts his feet in my lap and he still has his socks on. The feel of them makes me shiver.. Ugh!

hi ive just been looking through your list of strange phobias and thought i'd tell you about mine i'm scared of balloons, but only when they are unnattended floating through the air on their own i think its a bad omen, an indication that a murderer or such like is lurking around me and the balloon is his. so it terrifies me to see them in the air

I have always had a phobia of balloons. Just the thought of a balloon makesmy palms sweat! I can just about cope with a deflated balloon but one that's blown up gives me the heebie geebies. It's not possibility of them popping because I'm fine with fire works. Just the smell and texture!!

i also am afraid of cotton balls... and balloons.......