"If you monitor yourself for seven days or so it'll give you clues."īe a part of the ABC Everyday community by joining our Facebook group. "It's really critical to gain an understanding of what your common situations are," Dr Rehm says. Or you might do it when you're stressed at work, as a distraction. You might bite your nails while watching TV alone, as a way to stimulate yourself. This often happens to long-term biters, Dr Rehm says, and usually in very particular situations. "Some nail biters say that everything else they're worried about in life falls away as they focus on the physical sensations," says Dr Rehm. "What they're seeing, tasting, feeling - it's a focused experience."Īnd, in other cases, people have no awareness they're biting their nails at all. But Dr Rehm says the fact you bite your nails doesn't necessarily mean you have OCD or any other underlying mental health condition.įor many people, biting your nails is an intentional way of "self soothing". Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467Ĭompulsive nail biting is categorised as an obsessive-compulsive and related disorder, alongside other behaviours like cheek chewing and hair pulling."And can also have a predisposition to difficulties with tolerating stress, frustration and anxiety." If you or anyone you know needs help: "There's research that suggests it runs in families," Dr Rehm says. But we do know that there are many factors that can contribute. Imogen Rehm, a clinical psychologist who has done research into repetitive grooming behaviours, says that there isn't a really robust understanding of why people bite their nails. The first step: understanding the problem So I decided to take matters into my own (chewed up) hands. It's a behaviour people often talk about simply "growing out of" … but I turned 30 this year and that time still hasn't come. International studies estimate that around 20-30 per cent of people bite their nails - and it's generally more common if you're young. I don't think I've ever used nail clippers. I've always struggled to open a can of soft drink. When the cool girls were getting French tips in the mid-2000s, I was rocking jagged little nubs. The trick is to find what motivates you personally, adds Walfish.I don't remember a time when I didn't bite my nails. Give yourself a fun reward when you reach milestones, such as one week and one month bite-free. Some people get fancy manicures with jewels, acrylic nails, and other things that are hard or gross to chew on others use a pretty ring or bracelet that will catch their eye when they raise their hand to their mouth while some have found success placing a rubber band around their wrist and snapping it whenever the temptation arises. Do something to call your attention to the nail biting when you're tempted to do it. For example, some people like to do something to occupy their fingers, such as crocheting or playing with a fidget toy. Come up with an alternate, less damaging behavior you can do when you do feel anxious, nervous, or bored, suggests Walfish. It might be a habit fueled by anxiety, for example. First, you need to start with addressing why it is that you feel the urge to bite your nails, says Walfish.
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