Do you feel uncomfortable at the sight of balloons? What about that noise when someone is holding a balloon? Let me tell you, being afraid of balloons is totally a thing—no matter how irrational it sounds.
I know because I used to experience panic attacks whenever I saw balloons. But, in less than a month, I learned to overcome my fear. And I wish I had done it sooner.
For me, the source of balloon fear was mainly the possibility of the balloon bursting. It may or may not pop, and I couldn’t know when, or if, it would happen. That made me constantly anxious.
The worst thing for me, though, was children with balloons. That’s a terrible, terrible combination. Children are fearless. They drag balloons on the streets, sit on them, and squeeze them as hard as they can. All their movements increase the possibility of popping—and therefore increase my anxiety.
I don’t really know what caused this anxiety for me. I’ve always been afraid of loud sounds in general. My mum told me I cried at fireworks when I was little, which I don’t really remember. But it took years for me to overcome my fear of fireworks. And I was always uneasy around starting pistols at sports events. And…
