Biting nails habit why

To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. It goes back millennia: the ancient Greek philosopher Cleanthes, for instance, was said to be addicted to biting his nails. In the modern era, no one has any good data on how many of us share the affliction technically called onychophagia , but small-scale studies indicate about 20 percent or so of adults bite regularly — which would suggest millions of Americans do it.

Even though excessive nail biting is widespread, however, psychologists have only begun studying it within the past few decades. In fact, they're still trying to understand the basic question that many people with onychophagia spend so much time wrestling with: given that the rational part of our brain wants to quit, why do we keep biting our nails? The current hypothesis: nail biting helps even out our emotions.

When we're bored, it provides stimulation; when we're stressed out or frustrated, it provides a temporary calm. Most of the early explanations of nail biting have been thoroughly disregarded. Sigmund Freud, for instance, believed that excessive nursing during infancy could lead to a so-called "oral receptive" personality — and a tendency to chew on nails and other objects, as well as a distinct preference for oral sex. He had no evidence for this idea, and subsequent followers of his ideas didn't turn up any, either.

Later, some researchers considered nail biting, hair plucking called trichotillomania and skin picking as mild forms of self-harm — the intentional injuring of oneself, often by cutting. Under this theory, biting one's nails would be sign of hostility towards oneself. Undercutting this idea, however, is the fact that most nail biters aren't particularly fond of the damage their habit causes — and for many people, it's the main reason they want to quit.

Starting in the s, most psychologists began distinguishing it and body-focused repetitive disorders from more severe forms of self-harm. As they've begun to better understand the behavior, one big question is whether it should be grouped in with obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD.

Though the latest DSM a text that's considered an authority on psychiatric diagnoses puts nail biting in a broader category with OCD, many of those who specifically study body-focused repetitive disorders disagree. Compulsions, for one, are usually associated with extreme levels of anxiety. Nail biting, on the other hand, is often accompanied by pleasure — the people who do it want to do it, except for the fact that it causes damage over time.

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Subscribe Today Stay up-to-date on the latest heath care topics. Nail-biting onychophagia is a common stress-relieving habit. You may bite your nails in times of stress or excitement, or in times of boredom or inactivity.

It can also be a learned behaviour from family members. Nail-biting is the most common of the typical "nervous habits," which include thumb-sucking, nose-picking, hair-twisting or -pulling, tooth-grinding, and picking at skin.

You may bite your nails without realizing you are doing it. You might be involved in another activity, such as reading, watching television, or talking on the phone, and bite your nails without thinking about it. Nail-biting includes biting the cuticle and soft tissue surrounding the nail as well as biting the nail itself. Nail-biting may occur with other body-focused repetitive behaviours BFRB such as hair-pulling or skin-picking. Several treatment measures may help you stop biting your nails.

Some focus on behaviour changes and some focus on physical barriers to nail-biting. Children may bite their nails more often when they are having problems at school or with friends. Talk with your child or his or her teacher about any new stress at school. Children are more likely to stop biting their nails when they understand what may trigger it. It is also important for your child to help choose a treatment method so he or she can use the treatment successfully.