The globophobia

The world is a strange place: we often accept someone’s fear of heights or fear of spiders as ‘something normal’. However, when it comes to the fear of balloons phobia, people usually laugh about it. As far as the “silliest or most irrational” fears go; Globophobia is high up in the list. Even Oprah Winfrey shocked her audience by admitting to having experienced the fear of balloons phobia To a person suffering from such a phobia, life can be quite difficult. In this guide, we shall study the fear of balloons phobia in detail. What is Globophobia? The word Globophobia originates from the Greek words Globo meaning ‘spherical in terms of balloons’ and ‘phobos which means deep dread or fear’. People suffering from this phobia feel morbid fear at the thought, sight, touch or even smell of balloons. Most individuals, however, are only afraid of the sound made by the popping of balloons. As with any phobia, the symptoms of Globophobia vary depending on the roots of the fear. Some people might be able to withstand balloons while they are deflated. However, the moment one starts to inflate them; the sufferer feels anxious. In many cases, individuals are afraid of hot air balloons but can stand smaller balloons, water balloons etc. At the thought or sight or sound of balloons, the phobic displays following anxiety symptoms: Rapid or shallow breathing Palpitations which can be perceived to be chest pains Kids start to cry, run or hide; they come up with excuses to prevent an encounter with balloons. This means refusing going to parties or fairs etc. Shaking, trembling and sweating are other physical symptoms. Gastrointestinal distress like nausea might be present.