Phobia of balloons and basically loud bangs!

[Sophie McFlish]

HI,

Until i got to the age of about 10, i had a HUGE fear for bangs whether it was fireworks or crackers. i couldn't go anywhere near balloons and if they pop i would hide crying for ages lol.
it got so bad that just the sound of when you crack appart yoguort pots was unbearable.

im not so bad now though. im still jumpy to unexpected bangs -(which i hate) and im still conscience around balloons. Plus- i hate thunder and lightning but appart from that i managed to get over my phobia- not sure how. Maybe i just grew out of my phobia.

soph xx

[lou11827]

Hi
I have just joined this site tonight and came across your post. I couldnt believe what I was reading as I have had pretty much exactly the same experience! I am petrified of bangs, in particular FIREWORKS and Ballooons. I was out with some friends at Frankie & Bennies and we were sat next to a childrens party who were playing with balloons. I didnt notice them at first but then the children started popping them. It was unbearable! I got up and went to the toilets in tears as it affected me so much! My boyfriend had to ask them to stop as I had the phobia, not only is it affecting me horribly now its also embarassing. I feel stupid as Im 22 and I feel its hard for people to understand, many people I tell at first find it funny & think Im joking. (Untill they see me around balloons or fireworks).
Fireworks are also a massive problem, Ive had the phobia for as long as I can remember & thought I would have grown out of it but it seems to be getting worse!! New Years this year, I had a panic Attack and couldnt breath! This was in my flat with the bangs going off in next doors garden!! I honestly dont know what to do, it controls me completly during Bonfire time and new year. Have you come across anything that helps at all? x

[Cathy V]

Hi to all the people who have posted answers to this thread. I find it very interesting. Ive never had an actual phobia about noise, in that ive never had a panic attack...well except maybe with the thunder thing, but like alot of anxious people i can be sensitive to noise. But it just goes to show how varied and complex our anxieties really are, and through nmp, ive learned to be much more tolerant of other peoples fears. Sometimes you can be so focused on your own anxieties, that you don't realise how others are suffering with theirs.

I can see that there are links for you to look into...nmp never ceases to amaze me.

Best wishes
Cathy xxx

[Tom_M]

There's only two phobias that we are born with. The fear of loud noises and the fear of falling, the rest we just acquire. But I must admit that I don't like the sound of sirens from police, ambulance, or fire brigade. It more often than not means that someone is seriously ill or there's been an accident. I guess I'm just relating to a passed experience which involved something like that and it brings it all back to me.

Tom

[Snowshadow]

Finally someone with the same phobia as me... balloons and loud bangs. Apparently when I was a baby, I definitely can't remember this, someone popped a balloon by accident in my face. Just the sight of a balloon almost makes me stop breathing... or did. I am slowly learning to overcome this, of all people my granddaughter helped me??? I still don't like balloons that are too "full" though... because I know they have more of a chance of popping. My poor kids never had balloons at their birthday parties. And yes, I hated those Christmas crackers you pull and fire crackers... anything that makes a loud bang.... definitely still try to avoid them if I can!!!

[andrea568]

Hi, I am absoloutely terrified of Balloons, when they're moving, still, popping, being squeakily rubbed!! eeeuuuggghhh!!!! so much that I can pass out, I'm a narcoleptic and seeing a ballon can give me an attack. I am also terrified of clowns with the same effect. I find them incredibly sinister and totally freak out if I see someone dresssed as a clown.
I have tried that therapy where you face your fear but I just passed out.

Andrea xx

[didi26]

Hi, I too am terrified of load bangs. I hate balloons especially when they are being blown up or played with, I seem to be waiting for them to pop and have to prepare myself. I love looking at fireworks and can watch them outdoors but only if they are quite a distance from me and I have to be listening to my ipod. I dread thunder and will if I have to hide in the cupboard under the stairs. I would really like to overcome this I am 48 and have hated them since someone popped a balloon by my ear when I was young. I find it very embarrassing around christmas when there are parties and balloons(the long ones that make horrid noises when you let them go) are around I can get in a right state. Infact my dad also has a fear of loud bangs and thunder but having gone through a war and having to endure bombs going off around him, I think he has been somewhat desensitised. I hate it when people don't understand what it is like they think I am silly, sometimes my family upset me because they seem to think that getting over it is easy. Anyone any ideas on how all of us who suffer this dislike can rid ourselves of it?????

[EdwardP]

Hiya,

I am terrified of blowing up a balloon. When I was younger I was blowing one up for a party and as I was doing it my ear popped and I became worried that I had damaged it. Ever since then I won't go near them. I associate blowing up a balloon with damaging my ear drum.

[Pebbles]

hate fireworks i usally go to quiet country pub nov 5th to escape them each yr its great¬!!!!

[terry1991]

hi, i have a severe phobia of balloons mainly but loud bangs as well.. except fireworks dont bother me (strangely). i've had the phobia as long as i can remember, i always seem to be in the worng place at the wrong time. like when i was at primary school, my class made masks using balloons, when my teacher fisrt said masks, i knew she ment balloons and then she handed out balloons to everyone in my class and obviously they were gonna pop at least one so i just had to slip away as i felt stupid to speak out, so all my life i have ran away from them so earlier this year i brought some balloons and tried blowing them up which took me ages to even dare do, then i tried to tie one and pop it (stamp on it) but i looked at it and what little confidence i had just went and i couldnt do it but all of a sudden it just burst for no reason and now im worse than ever, im only 17 so i cant afford hypnosis. im really stuck now what to do as now i have no confidence and very low and depressed due to emotional scars caused by this phobia and how i was treated at school. :(