[This is an excerpt from my book 'The Needle Phobia Handbook'] Forget spiders, heights, clowns, public speaking, crowds, opens spaces or confined spaces...a lot of research around the world lays the title of ‘World number 1 phobia’ firmly at the feet of the humble needle. I mean, let’s face it... Only drug addicts and those with a needle fetish actually enjoy being stabbed with a sliver of stainless steel. The rest of us put up with it as a necessity, a means to an end. I’ve

You’re not alone - it’s a recognised issue and it’s called TATT Syndrome (Tired All The Time)…Life is getting faster! We are expected to be instantly contactable by friends, family and work. We are spending more time with our technology rather than getting fresh air, sunlight and exercise. We’re staying up at night binge-watching box-sets or interacting on social media. Caffeine is consumed throughout the day to counteract our tiredness which in turn affects our ability to sl

Blue Monday refers to the third Monday of January and implies that it’s the most depressing day of the year. The phrase was originally coined by a travel company as a marketing ploy to sell more holidays. In my experience, it’s the whole of January that’s the problem, not just one particular day. So why does January feel so extreme? Well, like most extreme situations it’s never just one thing, it’s usually a combination of events and occurrences... Covid Lockdown – In the gra

Christmas can be a stressful period at the best of times. Throw in the prospect of social distancing, curfews, social limitations and travel restrictions and it’s fair to say that the blanket level of anxiety this winter could be somewhat ‘enhanced’. Over the years I’ve helped people cope with a host of difficult and highly stressful situations. Here are my tips for dealing with this coming festive season: Acceptance Although tempting, running away just isn’t viable at the mo