Ok. This is how it goes. When I was 8 years old, I started biting my nails (don't ask why, I just did). My parents told me not to do it, and at 10 I managed to stop it. However, at eleven I started it again and I have kept on until now. Until 5 years ago it wasn't such a big deal. It was just a bad habit, with some effect on my appearance, as my nails were a bit shorter than they should and in a bad shape because I could not clip them well. But that's all. However, I then started biting them a bit more. Again, don't ask me why. Maybe because school becoming harder. Three years ago was my last year at school, which means I had a hard time because the exams for universities was at the end and in order to do well you must be under a lot of pressure. Anyway, I got to university which turned out to be much much harder and you didn't have all the teachers you used to in school to guide you. The competition is also tougher. In the mean time, I was beginning to have issues with my sexual orientation. I knew back when I was at school something wasn't going well, but now I was beginning to feel I had to do something about it. To find an answer whether I was gay or not. This year I got really tired of it and finally I came out to my parents and two friends. Everything went ok, no problems. I also managed to have a better control of my life, socialize more and in general I felt more relaxed and selfconfident, despite the fact that my studies kept on becoming more and more demanding. So my problem is this. Although I am happier, I can't stop biting my nails. In fact, I am biting them more than before, some of them have gotten quite short and I feel really bad about it. I don't like the aesthetic outcome, nor do I like the fact that even now I can't discipline myself. During summer holiday, I completely stopped biting them, and it just happened, effortlessly. Now that I returned home, I started biting them again and I am sad about it... And just a week ago I realised that while I was reading a book for university and was in deep thought I had bitten them without even noticing I did. What I need from you guys is maybe a tip or something to help me control myself. I know there could be psychological reasons (I am studying too much, I don't go out often, I've never had a relationship, I haven't even kissed anyone to just even confirm my orientation, I don't exercise etc). But these reasons need time to be dealt with and, although I don't want to rush things in my life (especially my personal life and my orientation issue), I want to stop biting my nails now. So please help me. By the way, solutions like wearing gloves or polishing my nails with special things that taste bad etc just won't work. My mom thought they might back when the problem was not that serious, but they just failed. In addition, to help you understand what my situation is, now that I am typing, whenever I stop to think what I should write next or if what I have written is well written and comprehensive, I move my hand towards my mouth and if it stays there for a while, I start biting a nail. And even though I think I should stop, I automatically keep on. In general, when I have to think much, I tend to bite my nails. Anyone?
I've bitten my nails for as long as I can remember, execpt there was never a period where I stopped like you did. Once a nail started to get long enough to bite, I'd do just that. Why do you think you stopped biting your nails during your summer holidays? For me personally, if I'm preoccupied with something I tend to not bite my nails. It's when I am relaxed/just sitting there doing nothing that I really start doing it. Was that holiday action packed? LOL I'm sitting here thinking about what to type next and I've started biting.... I guess there might be some logic behind the idea that biting is like a comfort action to get your through the anxieties in your life that you mentioned: "I am studying too much, I don't go out often, I've never had a relationship, I haven't even kissed anyone to just even confirm my orientation, I don't exercise etc". IE Some people eat etc when they are down/worried, you bite your nails. That's the THEORY anyway! Really try and focus on why you didn't bite your nails during that holiday. I'm off to get a snack before I munch on my nails again. -.-
I've been pretty bad for biting my nails, and like you, I've had periods where I've stopped and then start back up again. In fact, I've been noting to myself the last couple of days that I've been biting again and I really should stop... more often than not, I bite them when I'm stressed out. When it's just stressing about life stuff, usually I can actively stop biting them, but when I'm under pressure (i.e. playing a game, in an exam) then I just do it. Probably because I need to relieve whatever's stressing me so I can get on with whatever's at hand. Have you tried that stuff you can paint on your nails that tastes horrible? It personally didn't work for me but some other people swear by it (i.e. my mom). It certainly does help to recondition you from biting your nails to not wanting to bite them.
@BudderMC I tried that paint when I was 13, but it just didn't work. I licked off the paint and then bit my nails. Then I realised I had licked off all the paint and put again more on my nails. And so on and so forth... @ForceAndVerve Well, the only thing I can come up with is that during holiday I don't have any cares. I just lay on a couch, have baths in the sea, eat and sleep. Or if I go on a trip, walk around places, visit attractions etc. Inevitably, I can't be all that unwary in my everyday life...
I too bite my nails. I've never really thought about it as a serious problem until now that I'm transitioning =/
normally I don't bite my nails too much, just an occasional absent minded bite, but recently I'v been amazingly stressed and I have bitten my nails down to the quick. When I notice myself biting, I just chew some gum or something, except for when I'm stressed.
I've also bitten my nails for as long as I can remember. I even tried to use nail polish to keep myself from doing it, but I couldn't get over not liking the look of painted nails, so I quit using nail polish. Basically, I have completely given up on ever kicking this habit.
serial nail bitter here, i used to do it till my fingers started to bleed but that happens rarely now. i find that biting my nail tends to psychosomatic i.e when i'm bored, stressed, anxious or angry, the only time i stop is when the pain becomes to much or my friends have ago at me. As I've learned past experiences the only way to kick any habit is willpower and long arduous work at it hope this helps
1 - buy a good manicure set and clip your nails as short as possible. This gives less nail to bite. 2 - soak your fingers in vinegar for five minutes every morning. Dry them off, don't wash them. this will give them a taste that is unpleasant. 3 - keep thinking of all the germs on anything you touch and how they (a) end up on your fingers and (b) end up in your mouth. Knowledge is power.
