Sian Price, 26, has lived with globophobia, a fear of balloons, for nearly 20 years. She says the condition makes her heart race and causes her to sweat, leaving her desperate to escape the source of her anxiety.
The fear became overwhelming in December 2023, when she had to leave Bongo's Bingo after being overcome by anxiety. Recalling the experience, she said: "I went to Bongo's Bingo and they had these massive gigantic balloons that were bigger than me. I knew they were going to pop at some point all three of them. It was horrific and I was crying at the table."
Bongo's Bingo responds
Following the incident, Bongo's Bingo expressed regret and offered to help Sian. In a statement, a spokesperson said: "We're sorry to hear Sian had a bit of a stressful time during one of our rave rounds back in 2023. There's never a dull moment at Bongo's Bingo."
"And we always encourage customers to check out our terms and conditions which explain that balloons, Coco Pops and glow sticks may be flying through the air during our shows. Although, admittedly, nothing can quite prepare you for a night at Bongo's Bingo! We hope Sian is doing well, and if she ever fancies giving us another go, we'd be more than happy to sort her out with some tickets on us."
Reactions from others
Sian has also spoken about the toll that other people's reactions have taken on her. She said: "People have basically told me to get a grip, it's a balloon. I've had people popping balloons in front of me because they don't take it seriously. I've had it a few times, people will put a pin in balloons or throw balloons towards me. They do it as a joke and it's just not funny."
Since then, Sian has decided to speak out and raise awareness of her phobia. She has documented her experiences on social media platform TikTok, where one clip has attracted more than 64,000 views.
What triggers the fear
Sian, from Hartlepool, explained what it is about balloons that triggers her fear. She said: "It's the latex smell and it's the uncertainty of them popping is what really puts me on edge. I know they're quite unpredictable and there's a lot of factors that make them pop. It's them being unpredictable."
"I feel like I can spot one from about a mile away. I feel like my nose is so heightened and I can instantly smell out the latex. Instantly my heart starts racing and I try to look for an easy escape away from the balloon. It's not just a little bit of a panic, it's 'I need to leave right now and get away from these balloons'."
Despite her ongoing fear, Sian has developed several coping strategies, including removing herself from situations where balloons are present or holding her breath when walking through balloon displays. However, she has not yet tried exposure therapy, a technique in which individuals gradually confront their fears. Sian has said the thought of trying it makes her "physically sick".
When asked what advice she had for others living with globophobia, Sian said: "Do your own research into it. It definitely helped having that research background on it. As soon as you start understanding it more you start to feel a little bit better and can start explaining it to people. You don't have this shame of having this phobia because people have unusual phobias, they just do."
"Just try and work your own way through it and do what's best for you."
