My Stupid Phobia

[scaz]

My name is Scaz, and I have a phobia.

It is so bad that I hang out in the kitchen at parties, and I avoid kids parties like the plague!

It is also so pathetically stupid and irrational that I tend to avoid telling people about it.

I cannot remember a time when I haven't been wary of them, but it all came to a head one drunken Christmas when my ex's dad decided to cure me, and ever since then I have been absolutely terrified of them!

I am speaking about balloons. Yes, those inflated latex spheres full of air that bob about at parties, the woman who once looked a 6'4 Welsh rugby player in the face, on Paddington Station after the 6 Nations, and screamed "YOU DROP THAT HAND OR I WILL REMOVE YOUR TESTICLES WITH MY KNEE!" is scared of a balloon..

Well.. I'm scared they are going to all burst! I hate them! I avoid the balloon sellers at fairs, and if the kids get balloons, Hubby drives home incase one goes bang, as I am so scared of the bang I fear I might drive in to the Armco!

It really does ruin my life!

Yesterday I was put in to the worst situation in my life, a birthday party at work, and I was surrounded by.. you guessed it, balloons! Now I specifically said I don't mind the banners and the silly hats.. hell I'll even bake the cake, but PLEASE no balloons, I am a PETRIFIED of balloons! I think my cat would have taken more notice than these women!

I couldnt ruin the party for the birthday girl, so I stuck it out, and praise be the computers wouldnt work, so we moved rooms.. NO MORE BALLOONS right?

WRONG!

I dashed out the room, fighting the rising panic all the way and calmed myself down, to hear "Grab a balloon everyone, lets go!!"

2nd room they had a balloon fight and I kept whispering to my friend, "they are all going to go BANG I just know it!"

We stayed till 8 when the question was asked, "Whats going to happen to the balloons?"
I said, loudly "I dont care just let me out before you do it" when someone produced a car key and started bursting them, well I screamed, and someone burst another as the door opened.

Have you ever seen a nearly 6 foot woman scoot under a shorter man's arm to get out of a room? Aparently I was screaming at this time and saying nooo no no no no no!

Friends I am ashamed to say I RAN out of the building in tears, I was in the car park before anyone caught me, and I had a full scale, to the point I couldn't dial the number on my phone, panic attack in the car park to the extent a Good Samaritan called Hubby for me and asked him to come in to the car park and collect me!

All this because of a poxy balloon

I am now dreading Monday when I have to face everyone, and see them wonder how someone who can deal with spiders and has a bit of a screw you attitude can be so pathetic about an inflated disc of latex!

[Bonnibelle]

Don't feel silly, we all have fears and phobias. You did very well to stay for so long.

On Monday I'd just be honest and say you're scared of balloons, you can't help it.

Maybe you could chat to your GP, tell him how your phobia affects your life, you could be offered some help.

[scaz]

I have got a phobia of birds under control (sort of).. now its curtains to the balloons!

I am also applying for a passport as I have this stupid fear of planes that I have decided is not going to rule my life either, I have always wanted to go to Norway.. and I'm going! Plane or no plane!!

It's good to have someone "holding my hand" while I fight it though.

Admins, May I post up some photos under the heading Sucess stories?

[kittikat]

scaz,

I am so glad I read this because I could have written it myself...I hate balloons and if they come anywhere near me I run a mile too!!

I do actually tell people but as they don't understand they usually end up teasing you with them, which is when I run a mile in the opposite direction with my fingers in my ears and eyes tightly shut :scared15:

I think they can look very nice as a decoration but as long as they stay up and well away from me I am ok.

Your descriptive story had me in stitches, but it really isn't funny is it...I'm so glad that I am not the only one who has this phobia lol.

Kitti :)

[scaz]

Hearing from someone else who dislikes them like I do is fantastic.

I have never liked them, even as a kid I would look at them and say ok its a balloon, but run from balloon fights.

I once went to see Take That in Wembely and they swamped the place with glitter, confetti and balloons, and the sight of my 5 foot and a fart best friend swatting balloons away from her cowering 5'10 companion was a sight to behold, trust me on this one even the paramedics were laughing, we came out looking like throwbacks to the 1970s and my knees buckling were not just due to being in close proximity to Jason Orange!!

I also have a fear, and even I laugh at this one as I really don't know why and it is so pathetic it's untrue, of mice and rats.

There is a strong possiblity that my shoe is bigger than a rat, but they terrify me! Hulking great Rottwiellers, no problem.. Drunks wanting to kick off because they can't get a train.. I'm your woman.. Mickey the Mouse asking for a nice slice of Jarlsberg.. Let me out first then you deal with it!

What possible harm could a mouse do someone who once trained in Martial Arts.. but there I am like Tom's owner from Tom and Jerry up on a chair screaming like a Justin Beiber fan!! (Or I was till my then BF told me mice can climb!!)

[kittikat]

:roflmao: you are a very comical lady.

Now you're talking...Jason Orange, enough to make my knees buckle too :yesyes: sod the balloons!!!

[scaz]

:) we are on the same wave length I am sensing!

I find humour is the way forward, this is total truth, my ex's mum had my "Charts" done and the woman who did it said "This is a unique woman" (well thats a nice slant on raving loony I spose!) She also said "This woman thinks sideways..

I defy anyone find a better way to describe me, sod forwards thats busy!!

I was thinking of writing a book about being a phobic, but with my warped and twisted sense of humour (on the railway you develop a sick sense of humour) I doubt anyone would read it :D

[kittikat]

Go for it scaz...it will be a bestseller :D a bit of humour incased in anxiety...I couldn't think of anything better to lift the spirits of the many sufferers of this debilitating condition!

[scaz]

Had a bit of a set back last night as the house 3 up had a shin dig and decided 1am was a great time to have a balloon fight in the street.

Starting writting today, and am thinking of calling it the diary of a wuss...

[kittikat]

pmsl.....:roflmao: get on it now lol...I'll read the transcript and let you know what I think :roflmao:

[scaz]

Deal!

[Tessar]

Hey scaz, You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, please dont feel shame. I dont know what percentage of the population has phobias but I have 2 (almost 3 but I'd say one is just a fear). I have managed to admit to my colleagues about my phobias.... one was easy since it was spiders. One morning I got caught out as there was a horrid big one where I was doing some filing. I screamed and swore. Right in front of the most gentlemanly person in the office! I was horrified he'd heard me swear but he came to my rescue and got rid of the offending thing. What remained with me of course was that I'd sworn in the office which I try not to do if I can help it....but he understood & didnt really bat an eyelid even though I was thinking badly of myself for my reaction.
I didnt talk about my second phobia to my colleagues for a very long times as I thought they'd probably laugh or deliberately wind me up about it. But they didnt. They took me seriously. It doesnt matter whether they understood or not at least they were ok about it.
OK, so my colleagues havent seen me running out of a room screaming but that's only because I've been lucky enough I havent been triggered badly enough infront of my colleagues but I suppose that remains a possibility. There was an occasion recently when I had a right old panic about my phobia at work. I posted on here because it made me freak just a lettle. Something happened to someone that made me feel scared but the nature of my phobia meant I kept my feelings well hidden from my colleagues. Just because your colleagues saw your anxiety doesnt mean you have anything to be ashamed of, far from it in fact. I would imagine if they are half decent human beings then they would feel compassion for you. After all a good samaritan called your hubby for you so it shows people can be supportive & kind. They dont have to understand a phobia to help you. And its not just "a poxy balloon", no phobia is poxy believe me, I know!
Your height doesnt matter.... it's immaterial in this situation - I mean why is it that when people say to me "that spider is far more scared of you than are you are of it... after all your hundreds of times bigger" I just think "you havent got a clue, its totally pointless saying that to me"!!! Well, maybe they havent got a clue who knows.... I guess they are just trying to help me.
I can understand why you'd be dreading Monday but really you havent anything to be fearful of. If it was me, I'd try to go in much as normal & then if you feel up to talking about it, you can always bring the subject up with people. You might find that kind hearted people would want to be checking you are ok anyway. If I were your colleague I certainly would be.
The thing to remember (as I am sure you know anyway) is that phobias are irrational. Those of us with them do know that but it's always so hard to get your head around & of course we are always going to believe that everyone else is gong to label us in some derogatory way for having a phobia in the first place - but there is no rhyme or reason to it. Its just unfortunate that you had to cope with a triggering situation. Maybe one day you'll be able to face the fear as it were but one step at a time eh and you've already been working on stuff lately anyway success. So you can get there. Meanwhile we are all behind you. Just think of all your NMP friends being with you tomorrow morning. That helps me alot thinking about everyone here....

[scaz]

Thanks Tessar,

Oh I turned the air indigo and no mistake :D I know at least one of my co workers is livid I was ever put in that situation as he heard me say "Please no balloons"

I am writing a basic, I spose you could call it blog, about my anxiety, and where I think it came from, but I get so cross with myself for feeling this way.

I am the person who had a bag with a gun shaped object in it shoved in my face and told "Open the gates or I shoot!" and looked him in the face and said "Put it down or eat your teeth your choice!"
Show me a balloon and I run.. makes no sense does it?

[almamatters]

I'm terrified of balloons, I can't have them near me, it's the worry of them popping right next to me. :)

[scaz]

I get so cross with myself when I react to it, and then I sit scolding myself about my reactions..

[Col]

My name is Scaz, and I have a phobia.

It is so bad that I hang out in the kitchen at parties, and I avoid kids parties like the plague!

It is also so pathetically stupid and irrational that I tend to avoid telling people about it.

I cannot remember a time when I haven't been wary of them, but it all came to a head one drunken Christmas when my ex's dad decided to cure me, and ever since then I have been absolutely terrified of them!

I am speaking about balloons. Yes, those inflated latex spheres full of air that bob about at parties, the woman who once looked a 6'4 Welsh rugby player in the face, on Paddington Station after the 6 Nations, and screamed "YOU DROP THAT HAND OR I WILL REMOVE YOUR TESTICLES WITH MY KNEE!" is scared of a balloon..

Well.. I'm scared they are going to all burst! I hate them! I avoid the balloon sellers at fairs, and if the kids get balloons, Hubby drives home incase one goes bang, as I am so scared of the bang I fear I might drive in to the Armco!

It really does ruin my life!

Yesterday I was put in to the worst situation in my life, a birthday party at work, and I was surrounded by.. you guessed it, balloons! Now I specifically said I don't mind the banners and the silly hats.. hell I'll even bake the cake, but PLEASE no balloons, I am a PETRIFIED of balloons! I think my cat would have taken more notice than these women!

I couldnt ruin the party for the birthday girl, so I stuck it out, and praise be the computers wouldnt work, so we moved rooms.. NO MORE BALLOONS right?

WRONG!

I dashed out the room, fighting the rising panic all the way and calmed myself down, to hear "Grab a balloon everyone, lets go!!"

2nd room they had a balloon fight and I kept whispering to my friend, "they are all going to go BANG I just know it!"

We stayed till 8 when the question was asked, "Whats going to happen to the balloons?"
I said, loudly "I dont care just let me out before you do it" when someone produced a car key and started bursting them, well I screamed, and someone burst another as the door opened.

Have you ever seen a nearly 6 foot woman scoot under a shorter man's arm to get out of a room? Aparently I was screaming at this time and saying nooo no no no no no!

Friends I am ashamed to say I RAN out of the building in tears, I was in the car park before anyone caught me, and I had a full scale, to the point I couldn't dial the number on my phone, panic attack in the car park to the extent a Good Samaritan called Hubby for me and asked him to come in to the car park and collect me!

All this because of a poxy balloon

I am now dreading Monday when I have to face everyone, and see them wonder how someone who can deal with spiders and has a bit of a screw you attitude can be so pathetic about an inflated disc of latex!


I get this it's bloody awful & does seem sooo bloody irrationally stupid.
I'm not as bad as you BUT I don't know what it is but I get tremendously scared if my kids pop a balloon , if I know a balloon will pop, I almost start shouting and arguing and go mental! :roflmao:Can't help laugh in a way

[scaz]

yeh I can get very emotional about it, and I rage at myself so much for it.

I refuse to apologise tomorrow for running, why should I? I specifically asked for there to be no balloons, but was ignored.

[scaz]

Well its midday, I'm dreading work atm, but I refuse to apologise for being scared.
I am mad at myself that I let it bother me, but I have done nothing wrong in being afraid. Just gonna go in and hope for the best.