answer:Absolutely, yes, I have done this, and no, I don’t believe it necessarily has to be negative. I will give you an example. I have a strong dislike of physical contact with others, particularly of the sort which is not initiated by me. I suffer from severe clinical depression, and one day I had to attend a meeting while depressed. I apologized for being a little out of it, explaining that I was depressed. After the meeting, one of the members of our organization came over and asked if I’d like a hug, opening her arms and stepping forward. I reacted instantly, and without thinking, jerking back and saying “NO!” loudly enough to create an uncomfortable silence. She was understandably hurt, and I decided at that point that I would overcome my aversion to physical contact, if only so that I didn’t hurt anyone else that way. Over the next couple of years, I made a point of hugging everyone I met when I said good-bye. At first I had to close my eyes and literally grit my teeth, waiting for it to be over, but as time passed I found that by exposing myself to it over and over again, I had successfully desensitized myself to physical contact. I should add that my hard work paid off in spades when I ended up spending some time in the clink for my activist work, and had to endure repeated strip-searches. I shudder to think how I’d have reacted if I hadn’t spent the time and effort to desensitize myself to intimate contact.