I have had a long-term phobia of needles. This is excacerbated by the fact that I'm usually in some sort of stressful situation at the point at which a needle is being put into me: be it a part of a diagnosis with thoughts racing about outcomes, or worse in an acute emergency.

I recently took positive action to try and dispel this fear with a sort of exposure therapy: I started giving blood. It's a much less stressful environment, that feels much more under control. So far I haven't had any issues at all, which is a surprise to me. It hurts a bit when the needle goes in, but my heart does not race, nor do I get a massive hit of adrenaline. I'm on my third donation, and next time I need to have a needle inserted for something else, I hope I'm a lot less troubled by it.