Some people are afraid of spiders. Some are afraid of heights. Some are afraid of clowns, which seems perfectly reasonable to me, because let’s face it: clowns are scary.
I’m scared of balloons.
(Via Hautstyle. Some images NSFW.)
This situation would give me a panic attack. Not even playing.
Whenever I’m around balloons, all I can think about is how they will pop, suddenly and alarmingly, and how awful that will be. I’m also afraid that said popping will injure me somehow. This phobia is so deep-seated and primal that on more than one occasion I have screamed, “GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!” at a small, balloon-wielding child.
You can imagine how much fun I am at birthday parties.
I'll never understand it, but I can sympathize with it. I had a co-worker who was in tears begging me to get the balloons away from her at a party. Literally in a fetal position, crying.