[gremlin]

I've been biting my nails pretty bad recently. I stopped for a few months, but then started doing it again.
I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas that I could use to stop myself from biting my nails. I've already tried putting that stuff that tastes like crap on my nails, I still bit them. Help? D:
What bad habits do you have?

[Saiyouri]

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(｡◕‿◕｡) I have a terrible problem with picking at myself.
Where I pick at sores on my body and make
them worse and last alot longer, find little
marks on my legs, arms, chest and pick at
them until they become sores and scabs.
It's like a thing I do out of boredom
and I do this so frequently that my legs
and chest have sores all over them and
they don't go away at all, just get worse
and worse and make me look disgusting
naked. I go at times with not doing it but
it doesn't last that long.

I wish I knew what to say about your nail
biting problem. But I can only think of
finding something else to do when that urge
comes and you start it. This way your hands
are busy with something else and so is your
mind. It might work, I do that at times with
my problem and it does work, but it's
something you have to keep doing and keep
remembering to do.



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[Reyoki]

I used to have the same problem... and then I got acrylic nails. I 'bout damn near broke my teeth on 'em! I stopped biting them because I feared for my teeth. That's how I kicked the habit.

[Fey]

Ah, I've been an on-again-off-again nail biter since I was very, very young. In my case it's a nervous habit that I can't seem to stop. I've gotten better over the years with a couple different tactics.

1) Paint your nails
~this helped me for a while since it was a paint to have to redo the polish if I bit them. It also tastes pretty vile.

2) Chew gum
~often times if there's something already in my mouth I wouldn't go after my nails again. Also, if it's not a nerves thing, but an oral thing this'll fill that gap.

3) Get an abusive friend.
~my best friend and roommate have standing orders to smack my hands if I start chewing on my nails. After the fifth time I just can't even think about it around them...it stings!

However, the best thing you can do is pinpoint WHY you're biting them and work on getting that removed. Mine was due to nerves, mostly at home, growing up. Now that I don't live with my parents I don't have that need. When I'm in a particularly stressful time or place I make sure to sit on my hands, or hold something in them so I'm not tempted to snack on my nails again. It won't always work, but it makes a biiiiiig difference.

[Saiyouri]

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(｡◕‿◕｡) Reyoki's idea is a great one. That would definatley stop
you from biting your nails.



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[gremlin]

@ Saiyouri: I use to pick at scabs when I was younger. I don't know why, but I did. I stopped thankfully. D:

@ Reyo: My nails are so short that putting fake nails on them is probably impossible.

@ Fey: I'll tell my friends and boyfriend to smack me when they catch me nibbling on my nails and I'll see if I can get a massive pack of gum at Costco. Andddd, I'll buy some nailpolish asap.

[Saiyouri]

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(｡◕‿◕｡) I'm hoping to stop soon. It's a bad habit and I do it
alot when I'm bored. It calms me and gives
me something to do. I really am trying to
find something to occupy myself when the
urge comes over me, but it's so hard to
do.



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[gremlin]

That's how I feel when I try to stop biting my nails. It's hard. I bite them when I'm nervous or anxious.

[Saiyouri]

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(｡◕‿◕｡) Here's hoping we both can overcome our habits.



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[gremlin]

I hope so... I bite my nails so badly that it hurts to text, type and open things sometimes.

[Saiyouri]

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(｡◕‿◕｡) Oh my that is really bad. I really hope you
can find something that might work
for you to stop. Reyoki's idea might
work though. And finding things to do
when you notice yourself doing it might
also help too. When I notice what I'm
doing, I try to find something to
do right away because I know I can pick
at my sores for hours if I wanted to.

I have just purple spots on my chest
now in alot of places from picking
at the sore so much that there isn't
a sore there anymore, just a purple
spot >.<; I know keeping myself really
busy, even if I don't cross stitch and
just mess around on my laptop works
to keep me occupied so I don't pick at
myself.



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[Fallen]

I used to have the same bad habit as you. I forced myself to stop by gluing on those long fake fingernails that girls like to buy. It feels weird biting them, plus I spent money on it, so eventually it made me stop. Maybe the same will help for you?

Sadly, however, that lead to me biting the skin around my nails. xD
Currently have not found a way to break this habit.

[Booga]

I remember I used to bite my nails almost all of the time when I was younger. I dont do that anymore though. I cant think of any bad habits I have now though >_<

[DeadMuse]

I've a bad habit of picking my skin as well.

[ShaylaSakura]

I bite my nails as well. I hate how they feel after using nailclippers so I use my teeth. I really need to stop. lol

[Fey]

If it's a reaction to anxiety or stress maybe you should find out what's stressing you in the first place? Mine was my parents, and there wasn't much I could do about them when I lived at home. Is it school? work? people in your life? Try to get to the source and work on overcoming it, then the habit will go away.