[Silent_tsol]

How do I stop?
I've done it for years and every time I see a bit of bitten nail I "fix" it with more bitting. I bite around the nails and it looks awful. Does anyone have tips?

Hi there,

I am in the exact situation you are in, and I wanted to thank you for making this thread. I'll definitely be checking it out in the future to read the replies. Thank you!

[Fresia]

I used to be so embarrassed by my hands because even a doctor once told me, "I'd think you have it all together until I see your hands, what are you doing to yourself?" He said this as he was holding them and looking at them in such disgust. As if I didn't already feel this for more reasons than my nails, but I tried to fix it using the terrible tasting stuff that is I think called "No Bite" or something like that (Sally Hansen makes it) that goes on like nail polish but acts as a reminder not to do it when you put your fingers into your mouth. It helps some, but I got used to to the taste of it though so be careful of that. Use some of the other tricks with it so this doesn't happen to you but it can help...

Since it was a nervous habit, I replaced it with keeping a rubber band on my wrist that every time I'd go to bite, I'd take off the rubber band and play with it instead, or anything for that matter, paperclips, pens, and learned to do some of those cool coin flipping tricks over the knuckles in the process playing with coins; also chewing gum or sucking on candies instead. I painted my nails a color that I liked as a reminder as well to try to keep the polish on and tried not to mess it up, and if so, was forgiving and just touched it up but kept trying. Trim hang nails and cuticles with clippers not your teeth to get out of the habit as well. Someone once suggested too, massaging the hands with lotion instead can help replace the biting as well or just massaging even without the lotion when get the urge.

If the nail grew out to the ends of my fingers I could reward myself with something, pick something nice. Then if I could keep the whites, another reward, which for me was to go and have a professional manicure. They looked so nice. It wasn't easy but was worth it. I was once told after getting a job working with the public, that they appreciated my taking care of my hands; I laughed for more than one reason but especially for the fact, if only they had they only seen them a year earlier. Good luck!

[SoupDragon]

Oh no just when I thought my list of difficulties I have was completed, this is another one to add to the list. If I really concentrate and get motivated I can grow them, but them won't cut them and they get really really long, then one breaks and I bite all the others and give up growing them again for a few years - yes definitely adding this to my list of all or nothing behaviours.

I too thank-you for posting this.

[Silent_tsol]

I eat bad tasting nail polish like it's candy . Not really, but the taste doesn't bother me at all anymore. I even had one that came over from Germany and it was the strongest I've ever tried, the only problem was it was so strong if I ate finger food I would taste it.

The elastic idea is interesting. I've tried the whole, snapping the elastic but I never remember to do it. Or I do it when I'm done my biting so it doesn't work. But fidgeting might be more effective.

I remember my parents tried to do the reward system, I would get a dollar for every long nail I had at the end of the week. Unfortunately, I was too young at the time to care what a dollar was lol.

Yes, right now I have 7 long ones. When they are long and unpicked, I don't bite them. But the three that have bits of skin and uneven edges are unavoidable. I try not to let the long ones get past my fingers much because then they'll break and be added to the three that I can't stop biting.

I've sort of wondered if it was a form of ocd or si. Like I really do feel compelled to bite them and "make them look better". And when I get the under-layers it kind of stings and I like it in a weird way. I'm a mess.

I have a co-op job interview on Thursday and I'm trying to figure out how to not shake their hand or insta-heal my fingers!

[racee]

i have tried everything. the only time i quit biting my nails is when i was on antdepressent meds and for anxiety.

and i like to put nail polish on and scrape it off with my teeth. funny i ran across this thread i actually have one finger that somehow i missed and the nail is growing rather long so i'm not biting it cause it's alread looking good. i think i am going to try and do that with another nail and just bite everynail except that one then i'll have two and so on. and just keep clipping them to match the length.

i think many like you the nail either needs to be good looking and long but if its crappy looking might as well bite it so they never get a chance to grow.
i bite till it hurts and i bite the skin. i got this nervous habit from my mom i watched her do it all the time. my partner slaps my hand whenever he sees me. which does help except a few times ive gone into the bathroom and locked the door just to bite my nails.

when i'm watching action or suspense movies i notice i bite my nails like its candy i know if i go see a movie my nails will be hurting by the time its out. gum does help cut down a lot im an ex smoker as well so gum is my answer for a lot of things that stubborn oral fixation

[Silent_tsol]

One of the things I find most annoying is that I don't really have nail bitting urges. Like I will have a nail, then it'll be gone. Because there's no "go to store, buy smokes, get lighter, remove from pocket etc" I have a hard time stopping it before it's already done. My fingers and teeth are all attached. At my service whenever I want.

I know I can try to pay attention to triggers but really:
-being bored
-being nervous
-being stressed
-being anxious
-doing homework
-writing tests
-not doing anything
-at work
-driving
-watching tv
-doing anything mindless
Is there anything that isn't a trigger?

[50guy]

I bite my nails a lot. My Doctor has me on anti-anxiety meds 10mg of valium 3x per day and I still bite my nails. I don't think it will ever stop.

[Elana05]

I used to bite my nails horribly. But then I stopped. It was espcially bad when I used to smoke because if I wanted a cigarette but couldn't have one (like in a class) my hands would smell like tobacco and I would eat them up. Wish I knew more about what made me stop to be able to give advice... I did take a trip over-seas to a "3rd world" country. I was told NOT to put my hands on my face (or in my mouth) due to crazy weird germs I could pick up. Sometimes I imagine germs on my fingers and it may make it easier for me to keep them out of my mouth. My nails are really soft so I have to keep them short or I will bite them off, so that's one tip. I think meds are another good tip. If it's really bad, you could try gloves along with something else to chew - a straw perhaps?
Good luck. I know it gets painful at times...

[Indie'sOK]

"No Bite" polish does nothing for me...I am just one of those people that cannot stop biting their nails no matter what. That's just how it is. But I have come across ways to help deter biting, if only temporarily for me. Keeping them painted helped a lot, as did the rubber band method. The only problem now is that my job doesn't allow me to wear nail polish since I work with food and they're worried it will chip off into whatever I'm making. Oh well - it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. Maybe I'll stop someday, maybe not. But anyways, hope this helps some. xx

[Perna]

I didn't stop biting my nails until I was almost finished 30 years of therapy and was approximately 55 years old. Now I wonder what all the fuss was about. It's a bad/anxious habit, if you really want to work hard to stop it; I'd think of something else you'd "rather" do with your hands -- I read about a person who put nail files in all the places they sat and worked to improve their nails rather than bit them. I bit/bite mine, unconsciously, when I was reading novels that were "important" to me in some way, were about my experience or where I cared about the characters, etc. I didn't want to give up the reading and it wasn't high on my priority list to stop (once my stepmother died and I had no one criticizing me about it) but getting better in therapy finally made that and some other life-long bad habits/symptoms not needed anymore and they stopped.