What Does It Take To Stop Biting My Nails

Written by Rae Coleman on 31 May 2010

Nail biting is such a common disorder that it has a name: onychophagia. Just look at all the blogs and forums that discuss the issue and you will realize just how common it is and how hard the habit can be to break. If you want to know “how to stop biting my nails?”, here are a few techniques you can try.

If hearing that nail biting is a psychological disorder with a Greek name make you automatically start chewing on your nails, there’s a reason for that. It is a habit that often has its roots in anxiety and then becomes compulsive.

Freudian psychologists consider nail biting to be an oral fixation. In the same way that infants suck their thumb or a dummy to help them sleep, some adults unconsciously are looking for security from having something in their mouths.

Not every psychologists agrees that this is the reason for nail biting, but they are agreed on one thing: biting your nails is a problem that needs to be dealt with. That’s not to say that you have to check yourself into a clinic, though. There are many less radical ways to break the habit.

Since nail biting is done unconsciously, anything that makes you conscious of what you’re doing will help you begin to deal with it. You can buy over the counter products that you paint on your nails, for one thing. These are harmless, but taste so bitter you will lurch back your finger as soon as you taste it. If you do this regularly, it may break the habitual cycle of nail biting.

Many people whose fingernail biting habit is not excessive have found that replacing nail biting with nail grooming has helped them. Getting a manicure and a nice nail job is an incentive to stop. Many report that getting their nails colored with a bright color reminds them not to bit their nails every time they lift them to their mouth. Men – You can try filing your nails neatly or going for a professional manicure.

Relaxation techniques can also help. Learn how to meditate. Many meditators have found their bad habits slip away when they have experienced the deep peace that regular meditation can deliver. Along with nail biting, even more intractible problems like smoking and even addictions have been overcome with regular meditation.

Whatever you do, don’t give up on yourself. You can and will stop biting your nails. Try the above techniques and others that appeal to you. If you’re still having problems, talk to someone. Ask them, “How to stop biting my nails?

Discover the Secrets to Stop Biting Nails in 30 days.