Chronic Onychophagia

NotHisRealName · Post by **NotHisRealName** » 14 Aug 2005 05:48

AKA - Nail Biting.

Anyone else do it?
I'm really quite bad (and would agrue that I'm probably the worst on this board) and am sick of it. I wish I could stop, but it's so subconcious, and so instilled in my behavour that most of the time, I'm not even aware of my doing it.
The worst thing is, it's not just biting, but also using other things like sissors, keys, whatever.
One thing that really makes me ashamed of my behavour is the fact that, unlike smoking, there's no chemical dependence or addiction there. It's just habit, and one that I can't break.

I'm wondering if there are any other nail biters out there? Or any ex-nail biters.
Bare in mind that I'm 28, with only 10% of men, over 30 biting their nails. I don't want to fall into that bracket.

One of the tactics I'm thinking about using is to take account of when I'm biting my nails, in a journal, to make me more aware of it - to help me stop. I'm also going to get a nail file so that I can start to care for my nails, rather than pick at them.

Anyone got any tips?

SandWraith · Post by **SandWraith** » 14 Aug 2005 06:33

Well, as someone that has made a point of breaking many annoying personal habits, like cracking my knuckles, I would say that everytime you recognize that you're doing it-- stop. By acknowledging it, it can no longer reside outside your subconscious. While you may not notice it every time it happens at first, you will slowly, probably within a month, wean yourself from the habit.

At least that's what has worked for me on a lot of different habits. Good luck, however you choose to quit.

C-Fan · Post by **C-Fan** » 14 Aug 2005 07:30

i heard people reccomend you carry a bar of soap with you, and scratch it. That way, when you bite your nails you get a nasty taste in your mouth, and get pavlovian conditioning to stop.

mosher · Post by **mosher** » 14 Aug 2005 07:52

I used to be very very very addicted to biting my nails. I seem to be getting much better at leaving them alone however.

I highly recomend a nail file, I think that was one of the crucial steps in my gaining nail freedom. I found that if I ever managed to get them long enough to need cutting then I would try clipping them with nail clippers and they would be left too jagged for my liking and I would wind up biting them all off. However with a nail file you can just buff it down to a nice length and make sure it's all nice and perfect.

Also, I find I feel really proud of myself when I can claim "Ten whites", meaning I have a bit of white showing on each nail so I havn't bitten them for a while.

slapdash21 · Post by **slapdash21** » 14 Aug 2005 08:44

i bite my nails, for the same reason mosher did...i hate how they feel when i use a clipper. im not sure if its to the point of being mental for me...i usually dont do it unless i make a concious decision, like noticing how long they are. though its also good when im bored and whatnot.

james_dean · Post by **james_dean** » 14 Aug 2005 20:49

yeah i used to bite my nails, but only do it consciously like slapdash now. for some reason i have this strange habit of running a tooth inbetween my nail and my finger... and i'm not really sure why... mum always thinks i'm biting my nails and tells me to stop and being that i'm 18 that really gives me the shits...

yeah i've also heard of ppl painting their nails with something horrid tasting

C-Fan · Post by **C-Fan** » 15 Aug 2005 02:34

I find that clipping my nails after a bath is the best way to get them all perfectly the right length. But be careful not to cut too far.

slapdash21 · Post by **slapdash21** » 15 Aug 2005 16:33

james_dean wrote:yeah i've also heard of ppl painting their nails with something horrid tasting

yeah, they have an actual product of this nature. actually pretty much anyway that i shorten my nails i go way too far.

NotHisRealName · Post by **NotHisRealName** » 16 Aug 2005 03:50

mosher wrote:I highly recomend a nail file, I think that was one of the crucial steps in my gaining nail freedom. I found that if I ever managed to get them long enough to need cutting then I would try clipping them with nail clippers and they would be left too jagged for my liking and I would wind up biting them all off.

I think that's partly my problem. Currently they're so sort that when they do start to grow they end up feeling... 'wrong'. So I hack at them some more.

And that's the other part of the problem. I don't only bite them, so that paint-on stuff is useless for me, because I'll often use anything I can get to rip the nail (and often the skin around the nail) off.

However, yesterday I got myself a small file that fits into the coin pocket of my wallet. So, if I find I've got a shitty little thing that needs removing, I can file it away untill it's smooth, rather than hack at it.