[why6]

I've bitten my nails like crazy for the past 6 years or so (I don't even let people look at my hands anymore because they're so gross) and generally the first thing people ask me is why I bite them. The thing is, I have no idea. I have anxiety, but I don't just bite my nails when I'm nervous. I bite them literally all the time, no matter what my current emotions are, and usually I don't even know I'm doing it. I've already caught myself biting them 5 times while writing this.
People say one of the steps to stopping the nail biting habit is to figure out why you're doing it and adjust your life accordingly, but I just can't find a reason for it. Can anyone relate/suggest a way to figure out why I bite my nails? I really want to stop soon!
Thanks!

[Perna]

I bit my nails most of my life (I'm 62) until I had a lot of therapy for my anxiety and until after my stepmother died, etc. Can you think back and see if you can see what happened six years ago that you started?

It is good you are paying attention to "when" you bite them. I bite mine now (occasionally, now they are usually "acceptable" to me) most often when I am reading. I have a history with my books; I read for emotional education as much as anything else and respond deeply to the situations the characters in my novels are responding to? Too, sometimes I will be reading/watching TV and drinking at the same time and that can lower my inhibitions further.

If I could do it all again, I would not bother being upset about my nails and whether I bit them or not, I would accept that anxiety symptom and work harder on my self esteem/knowledge and the anxiety itself instead of diverting and/or adding anxiety and energy to biting/not biting my nails and what others thought.

It is a habit though too. I read where one person put nail files/grooming equipment all over, each place she sat, etc. and substituted working on her nails to biting them. I think you just have to become more aware of when you are biting them and decide to do something else like that.

[fragiled]

I am a 51 year old male and have been picking my nails for as long as I can remember: I even held my school pencil in a different way to hide my nail. Even then I was ashamed.
I absolutely dread some social gatherings, especially meals, where the person opposite will have a front row view of my horrible fingers. The more it frustrates, the more I picked.
Clenching my fists in public, elastoplasts on fingers I've done it all:'(
Anyway, around five weeks ago I noticed I hadn't been picking for a few days. This was strange as I rarely managed a few days without. When it reached eight days with no urge, I started to look at any significant changes in my lifestyle.
On returning from holiday, I'd felt a little run down and sad, I started taking vitamin tablets that I'd bought in local supermarket. I bought multi vitamins, vitamin B and vitamin D and was taking one or two every morning.
This was the only thing that had changed in my diet/ lifestyle and as a matter of curiosity, I googled "vitamin nail biting" and actually found several articles on this matter, which ultimately brought me here.
I am not saying this is some kind of miracle cure, but for the best part of five weeks my nails have grown considerably. I still have the odd, impulsive relapse but have managed to contain it to my thumb, that was minimul though.

Keeping in mind, my left hand especially, nails were down to around 1/8 of an inch, they are looking much better. I'm hoping in around another four weeks that I can finally lay my hands on a table and relax.

I have been suffering with this for so long and my heart truly goes out to anyone in this position:-) it may be worth trying the vitamin route, I mean even if it doesn't work for you, you get some decent vitamins inside you:-)
Good luck guys x
David