Neurodiversity and looners

[UKPOPPER]

I had a great responses to my poll about balloon fetish and phobia. Thanks. I felt there was a link between fear and fetish (from my own experience) but I hadn't appreciated just how strong the link is.

Along, I think, similar lines, I am interested to know about the link between balloon fetish and neuro diversity, i.e. ADHD, Autism and related conditions.

I have two kids diagnosed with autism and I suspect I am also autistic although I have never sought diagnosis. This may partially explain my fear of loud noises as a child and the level of sensory pleasure I experience from balloons. What is your experience?

[Exaturbo]

Quite a few years ago, a friends son was diagnosed with what was then known as Asperger’s.
when my friend was explaining to me what that meant, lots of boxes kept being ticked off for me.
so many of the things he said fit and made sense for me.

so while I have not had an official diagnosis, I believe I probably am on the spectrum.
at my age, there is very little to be gained by having an official diagnosis, and on top of that, it’s really hard to find a dr that
will actually make an adult diagnosis.

[BlowPlayPop]

Quite a few years ago, a friends son was diagnosed with what was then known as Asperger’s.
when my friend was explaining to me what that meant, lots of boxes kept being ticked off for me.
so many of the things he said fit and made sense for me.

so while I have not had an official diagnosis, I believe I probably am on the spectrum.
at my age, there is very little to be gained by having an official diagnosis, and on top of that, it’s really hard to find a dr that
will actually make an adult diagnosis.

Extremely similar to my situation. I have an adult son who was diagnosed with Aspergers at a young age. Having discussed it with him at length, I'm 100% convinced I have the same thing or very similar. Don't really feel anything would be gained from getting a formal diagnosis for me now though.

[UKPOPPER]

Quite a few years ago, a friends son was diagnosed with what was then known as Asperger’s.
when my friend was explaining to me what that meant, lots of boxes kept being ticked off for me.
so many of the things he said fit and made sense for me.

so while I have not had an official diagnosis, I believe I probably am on the spectrum.
at my age, there is very little to be gained by having an official diagnosis, and on top of that, it’s really hard to find a dr that
will actually make an adult diagnosis.

Yes - I think the same. I'm 46 and have managed this far! Mental health services are stretched so thinly. 😊

[LoonerGuyRy]

UKPOPPER This is a great poll

I was officially diagnosed with ADHD a few years ago in my mid 30's but looking back Ive struggled with it my entire life. I know a large part of my fetish has come from an extreme fear of balloons after an unexpected pop when I was really young, but I am curious if and how my ADHD plays into my feeling towards balloons. I think the fear of loud noises and pops comes from my early experience i wonder if the ADHD plays into this as well?

Anyone else have ADHD?

[BalloonFun]

UKPOPPER This is a great poll

I was officially diagnosed with ADHD a few years ago in my mid 30's but looking back Ive struggled with it my entire life. I know a large part of my fetish has come from an extreme fear of balloons after an unexpected pop when I was really young, but I am curious if and how my ADHD plays into my feeling towards balloons. I think the fear of loud noises and pops comes from my early experience i wonder if the ADHD plays into this as well?

Anyone else have ADHD?

I don't have ADHD, but I do have autism (very high functioning).

[loonypirate20]

UKPOPPER This is a great poll

I was officially diagnosed with ADHD a few years ago in my mid 30's but looking back Ive struggled with it my entire life. I know a large part of my fetish has come from an extreme fear of balloons after an unexpected pop when I was really young, but I am curious if and how my ADHD plays into my feeling towards balloons. I think the fear of loud noises and pops comes from my early experience i wonder if the ADHD plays into this as well?

Anyone else have ADHD?

I have ADHD and have had a very similar experience to yours. I don't think my ADHD necessarily caused my phobia, but it definitely contributed to it as I was always on high alert when I was in a place that had balloons. I then spent a lot of the early days of my fetish going through magazines looking for every picture of balloons that I could. It could be a level of autism, but I've not been tested for that. It's definitely neurodivergent as I would get distracted from what I was/should have been doing and decided it was more worth my time to search for balloons.

I am more of a semi-popper now, but I still have a very active balloon radar, able to notice them and point them out everywhere I go. Even now, I search the words "balloon fetish" and "looner" all the time just hoping I can see something new added to the internet. I can get very distracted with this balloon fixation and I'm not sure whether that's the ADHD or what, but it's definitely something.

[7balloon]

LOve this. YES! we are DIVERGENT. We do not fit the mold, we are not regular, we are the outliers. And yeah, I totally understand ANYONE on the chart where you don't get other people. Never have....still don't. Except that I have lucked out and I reached the point where I don't give a fuck anymore. I am not going to reach for any help to become more normal. Just going to enjoy where and what I am.

Am I clearly someone that can hit two or more definite conditions in the 2024 Psychiatrist book. Oh...Hell Yeah. Do I care. NO.


And total respect to everyone else here. If you are hidden and that works for you...HUZZAH! If you are a trans alien half fox that can't see beachballs put through a mechanical shredder without becoming aroused...Huzzah to you too!

Just want everyone to be clear that you already fell off the normal chart by being here. That's sort of the point. Just because you aren't normal doesn't mean you aren't awesome.

[Sit2Pop]

I do have Asperger's, and I've always loved balloons and inflatables, even outside the fetish, they are definitely comfort objects for me. That also explains why I love abusing and messing around with balloons, but absolutely hate unexpected pops! A definite special interest of mine are exercise balls. I own several, from my prized 120 cm Physio Gymnic ball, to a couple 75 cm exercise balls. If I'm overly stressed or overstimulated, a day with the house to myself with my exercise balls makes me feel amazing by the next day!

Overall, for my use case, I consider balloons as my main fetish, but exercise balls as a special interest. Once in a blue moon I'll use an exercise ball for fetish reasons, but they are usually to make me happy. Even when it comes to balloons though, I love all of the sensory aspects of them, from the stretchiness, to the tightness, to the squeakiness! However, due to a combination of anxiety and overload, if there are others handling balloons, I shut down very easily XD.

I definitely have bouts where all I focus on are balloons and exercise balls, with nothing breaking that focus lol. If you are neurodivergent, even if you aren't a fan of inflatables in terms of the fetish, I'd highly recommend at least getting an exercise ball, and using it as a seat, or bounce toy. It was certainly a life-changing revelation for me XD. 30 minutes of bouncing while playing a video game, and I feel great!

[Scooter]

I'm pretty sure I'm neurotypical, granted I've dealt with really bad social anxiety for a long time. Just been trying to get out of my shell more and more.

Due to bullying, I have a bad habit of never asking people for anything (such as spending time doing something) because I feel like I'm bothering/annoying people if I do so. It's been tough going "No, actually people probably won't mind spending time with you, and actually would probably appreciate it if you asked."

My fear of balloons is out of a similar sense of anxiety, and the fetish side is born out of that, like other phobic looners.

[Alan]

I had a great responses to my poll about balloon fetish and phobia. Thanks. I felt there was a link between fear and fetish (from my own experience) but I hadn't appreciated just how strong the link is.

Along, I think, similar lines, I am interested to know about the link between balloon fetish and neuro diversity, i.e. ADHD, Autism and related conditions.

I have two kids diagnosed with autism and I suspect I am also autistic although I have never sought diagnosis. This may partially explain my fear of loud noises as a child and the level of sensory pleasure I experience from balloons. What is your experience?

Awesome thread by the way! I’ve been discussing this with my friends and my therapist who I’m talking about my fetish to.
I seem like a person with very good social skills and I easily get on with people and have cool intelligent friends.
My therapist said I may have a very mild hint of ADHD and Autism (high functioning therefore no need for concern as understanding is keeping it to an acceptable level).
I’ve noticed these characteristics in a few and best girls I dated or had a relationship with only due to (both parties); our sensitivity and enjoyment of kinky (balloon foreplay) and attention to detail about it ..
(for example the balloon swelling and stretching as a metaphor to genitalia, also the sounds being a metaphor to giggling and sexual moaning and the bang as orgasm).
How I think the poor balloons are squealing because my girlfriend has been at the uni library all day with her running shoes on and it’s painful on their skin to have her cute little sweaty feet rubbing them up till they cry and burst to let her know enough is enough.
We’re even that sensitive about touching, kissing and sex. I remember every sensation exactly of how her vagina feels during the last sex session and it’s been like that with every partner!

[UKPOPPER]

Awesome thread by the way! I’ve been discussing this with my friends and my therapist who I’m talking about my fetish to.
I seem like a person with very good social skills and I easily get on with people and have cool intelligent friends.
My therapist said I may have a very mild hint of ADHD and Autism (high functioning therefore no need for concern as understanding is keeping it to an acceptable level).
I’ve noticed these characteristics in a few and best girls I dated or had a relationship with only due to (both parties); our sensitivity and enjoyment of kinky (balloon foreplay) and attention to detail about it ..
(for example the balloon swelling and stretching as a metaphor to genitalia, also the sounds being a metaphor to giggling and sexual moaning and the bang as orgasm).
How I think the poor balloons are squealing because my girlfriend has been at the uni library all day with her running shoes on and it’s painful on their skin to have her cute little sweaty feet rubbing them up till they cry and burst to let her know enough is enough.
We’re even that sensitive about touching, kissing and sex. I remember every sensation exactly of how her vagina feels during the last sex session and it’s been like that with every partner!

You're welcome. I think it is great that you can talk openly to your therapist and friends. I feel too embarrassed to do that but perhaps one day I will be able to. At least my wife kind of understands me.

[loonhax]

I was originally just drawn to balloons in general as a kid, if I saw one laying on the ground i'd grab it, it I had the chance to get a bunch of promotional balloons from a tent i'd take it, (albeit, I usualy sneakily stole a few rather than ask for them lol). Have always been terrified of too loud noises, like an irrational fear of fireworks which may not be so irrational after all, as apparently a firework rocket misfired and flew straight into our balcony when I was 1-2 years old, nothing I can remember but nevertheless.

Still loved seeing balloons around even though I knew they could pop. Fastworward a few years into my early teens and I loved popping small balloons, but never blow to pops, usually just stomping or lying on them and seeing how much pressure they could take before they would go bang. Had absolutely no idea what an orgasm was at this point, so that one night when I had blown a ballon just tight enough to not pop from my weight, but it still felt like it was about to any moment I decided to give it a little help by pushing on it... with my pelvis, you know where this is going. Balloon did pop and well that felt good so I did it again, and again until I thought I peed myself.

From that day on I could only ever reach climax by humping balloons until about 3 or 4 years later. 🤣

First year of uni, which meant I had my own place and could place my first large scale order of ballons from then nordiclooners, was a LOT of exploration and figuring out what makes balloons tick for me, I know for sure its not becuase of condoms, I find no joy in inflating them. So by end uni I had my fetish pretty much all figured out, I really want to see JUST HOW FAR I can push that tiny 9-11", or slightly bigger 14", and 17"... and so on.

And then 12 years lated the psycologist I was talking to finally realized I had been living with Autism my entire life, but it went ok I guess.

That's me, loonhax, signing off.

[UKPOPPER]

I was originally just drawn to balloons in general as a kid, if I saw one laying on the ground i'd grab it, it I had the chance to get a bunch of promotional balloons from a tent i'd take it, (albeit, I usualy sneakily stole a few rather than ask for them lol). Have always been terrified of too loud noises, like an irrational fear of fireworks which may not be so irrational after all, as apparently a firework rocket misfired and flew straight into our balcony when I was 1-2 years old, nothing I can remember but nevertheless.

Still loved seeing balloons around even though I knew they could pop. Fastworward a few years into my early teens and I loved popping small balloons, but never blow to pops, usually just stomping or lying on them and seeing how much pressure they could take before they would go bang. Had absolutely no idea what an orgasm was at this point, so that one night when I had blown a ballon just tight enough to not pop from my weight, but it still felt like it was about to any moment I decided to give it a little help by pushing on it... with my pelvis, you know where this is going. Balloon did pop and well that felt good so I did it again, and again until I thought I peed myself.

From that day on I could only ever reach climax by humping balloons until about 3 or 4 years later. 🤣

First year of uni, which meant I had my own place and could place my first large scale order of ballons from then nordiclooners, was a LOT of exploration and figuring out what makes balloons tick for me, I know for sure its not becuase of condoms, I find no joy in inflating them. So by end uni I had my fetish pretty much all figured out, I really want to see JUST HOW FAR I can push that tiny 9-11", or slightly bigger 14", and 17"... and so on.

And then 12 years lated the psycologist I was talking to finally realized I had been living with Autism my entire life, but it went ok I guess.

That's me, loonhax, signing off.

Thanks for sharing your experience, Loonhax. I can definitely relate to that. Ironically I even studied under Professor Simon Baron-Cohen when I was a student who is one of the leading authorities on autism (whether you agree with his theories or not) and then years later it finally dawns on me that I am almost certainly on the autistic spectrum. Leaving home for the first time to become a student was when I finally found more time and freedom to experiment too...I remember playing with balloons in my student room and the bathroom but I was too fearful to pop them at that point.

[UKPOPPER]

I had a great responses to my poll about balloon fetish and phobia. Thanks. I felt there was a link between fear and fetish (from my own experience) but I hadn't appreciated just how strong the link is.

Along, I think, similar lines, I am interested to know about the link between balloon fetish and neuro diversity, i.e. ADHD, Autism and related conditions.

I have two kids diagnosed with autism and I suspect I am also autistic although I have never sought diagnosis. This may partially explain my fear of loud noises as a child and the level of sensory pleasure I experience from balloons. What is your experience?

Thanks for your response, folk. It's great to be among so many people who share my experience and understand it. 😊