Balloon Phobia
All about the Unusual Condition Known as Balloon Phobia
Believe it or not, there is actually a condition mental health professionals term balloon phobia. Balloon phobia, or globophobia, is an intense, often debilitating fear of balloons. This may sound made-up but to those who suffer from this condition it is quite real. The fact that it is so unusual, and sounds so ridiculous only makes those who suffer from globophobia feel even more stigmatized.
What is balloon phobia?
It is hard to believe someone could be afraid of a piece of semi-transparent plastic filled with air or gas. Yet, that smooth surface can inspire absolute terror in the person who fears balloons. What we see as simply a decorative prop, they see as an alien and unstable sack of poisonous gas. Many of these sufferers will tell you that what causes the most fear is not the actual balloon itself, but the anticipation that at any moment that surface could fail and that blast, like a gunshot, could go off.
Symptoms of Balloon Phobia
Mental health professionals have identified balloon phobia as having a strong relationship with panic attacks. In fact, we might simply think of globophobia as an anxiety disorder that triggers whenever the sufferer encounters balloons. When the sufferer sees balloons, they start to feel their pulse race, their breathing becomes labored, and they may break into a cold sweat. It is quite normal for a person with panic disorder to feel as if they are having a heart attack and to be unable to act rationally.
What Causes Globophobia?
Usually, a person’s phobia will focus on an object most people would consider to be worthy a small bit of worry. Spiders and snakes are the typical examples. Most people have a natural aversion to these sorts of creepy-crawlers but they keep them in perspective.
When, however, a phobia focuses on an object as specific and unusual as a balloon, it is usually because of a traumatic episode in the individual’s past. Typically, something else happens at the time that becomes associated with balloons. Therefore, if there were say, an earthquake during a party when the sufferer was a child, the sufferer might make a psychological connection with the object they focused on during the tremors.
The event, however, need not be intense. A child could simply have been playing in a sand box when the balloon he or she was playing with suddenly popped. That simple event might be enough to set the phobia going.
The Stigma of Globophobia
Because this is such a new and relatively unknown phobia, it is likely to not be taken seriously. Sufferers with this condition are likely to see themselves as completely alone and to feel as if no one can really understand their fear. In fact, their friends and family are likely to not fully recognize their condition as a true disease. The sufferer’s friends may even go out of their way to torment the sufferer, not fully understanding the damage they may be inflicting.
Treatment for Balloon Phobia
Mental health professionals have found the most effective therapies for phobias and other anxiety disorders to be cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a kind of psychological process that focuses on solving a particular mental problem. Unlike traditional psychotherapy where the patient seeks a deep self-knowledge through years of analysis, CBT typically takes a matter of weeks and involves only a step-by-step process of desensitization.
When dealing with a phobia like the fear of balloons, CBT slowly gets the patient used to the object of their fear while at the same time teaching the patient methods of relaxation. Therefore, if you or someone you love suffers from balloon phobia, you should look to contact your local mental health community. With CBT, you or your loved one can overcome even the worst or most unusual phobias.