![]() More often than not, I'm able to stop the biting by actively doing something else with my body instead. My instinct is to barrel my way through stressful situations and I think the nail-biting gives my body something to do with all the nervous energy that creates. Sometimes I even manage to do a quick meditation or go for a walk. When I feel anxiety coming on through work (or any of the intense things happening in the world right now), I try to take a deep breath. Over the course of about six weeks I try a variety of strategies. Through those trends, my nail biting seems pretty tied to anxiety and perfectionism - which are issues I've previously spoken to a psychologist about, but never really thought of in this context. I bite when I'm stressing, which there has been no shortage of during Melbourne's sixth lockdown.Īnd I bite when I'm frustrated with the nail itself: I chew on any chip or crack or soft spot … which then creates more chips and cracks to get frustrated at. I bite while I'm working, writing to a tight deadline or ruminating over something difficult. Within a couple of days of tracking it, my common situations are clear. And I usually have no idea I'm biting at all. ![]() I grew up with my dad, who bites his nails much more than I do. That list of common factors sets off alarm bells in my head. "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. I don't remember a time when I didn't bite my nails. ![]()
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