THEY say you should do one thing every day that scares you.

Some people bungee jump. Some people swim with sharks. I signed up for acupuncture.

This was despite my long-standing phobia of needles and a blood test a fortnight ago which ended with me, a fully grown woman, snivelling and whimpering in a hospital car park.

I knew it could go wrong. I feared it would end in me kicking the acupuncturist. But I wondered if maybe it might be good for me.

So, on Thursday night, while everyone was tucking down to dinner, I laid on my back on a treatment bed and tried not to quake.

My acupuncturist, Hugo Brasher from Crook, was very understanding. I warned him of my long-standing needle-based terror and his calming pep talk managed to allay my fears.

He was qualified, the procedure would not be very painful, and if there was a fire I would not be left impaled on the bed to die like a pagan sacrifice.

Hugo was very friendly too. We could have been friends if it was not for his close relationship with needles.

He placed the first hair-thin pin into the side of my feet. It went in with a tiny pinch and then he nudged it a little until I felt the dull ache.

I took a deep breath. I was still there, I hadn’t punched my acupuncturist in the face and run for the door. This was definitely my ‘scary thing’ for that day.

Then the next needle went in. And the next. And the next.

With every needle I felt a ripple of relief. Eleven of these tiny implements were tapped into my wrists, my hands and my ankles. By the time he placed one at the top of my nose, between my eyes, I was almost laughing.

I don’t know if acupuncture would give me outstanding Chinese health benefits but this one experience left me ecstatically happy.

I danced home having beaten off a lurking fear – at least for now. For that reason alone it was well worth it.