Nail biting, thumb sucking and other bad habits, usually come forward from a childhood that sprouted habitual acts that stuck with us right up to our adolescent and even beyond our teenage years. I for one have an odd habit, which I don't necessarily find bad - skin smelling. I know that sounds weird, but smelling either the crook of my arm while sleeping to take in a fragrance, or breathing in strong whiffs of a scent from someone who smells nice, has been a habit that I've had for as long as I can remember. I now have a strong sense of smell, and can pick up faint odors and aromas instantly.
It's a habit I can actually live with as opposed to something like nail biting and thumb sucking, or even something like a habit where one is obsessively pulling his/her hair out called trichotillomania. All these habits have a way of ruining us in the long run, and doesn't have to boil down to one doing it as a child, but could be because of some problem that was sitting in the dark has now a stronger hold as one grows up.
Nail biting, or what is scientifically known as onychopphagia, is a stress relieving problem that occurs usually from the time one is a teen, to later in their adult life. Be it boredom, stress, anxiety, excitement or when one isn't doing anything, this habit crops up and is termed as a 'nervous habit'. Even things like grinding one's teeth, and constantly picking at one's noise, are bad traits that must be stopped when adults notice their kids do it.
Nail biting doesn't have to do with one's environment or biological factors only, but is seen as a way of grooming oneself and unconsciously picking at his/her body be it his/her nails, hair or nose. There are disorders that come into play like body dysmorphic disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or compulsive self mutilation which I've mentioned (hair pulling). These habits can run in a family, passing down from previous generations. They can be dealt with either by natural solutions that you can try at home, or if way out of hand - medicines and psychotherapy.
Natural Ways to Stop Biting Nails
For ways to quit biting nails, we've compiled some remedial suggestions that could help someone you either know or yourself for that matter, to nip the habit in the bud. Now that the nail biting causes have been explored, let's find out what you can do about how to stop biting nails.
If no natural means work when it comes to treating nail biting, then your only option is to seek medical help and try out cognitive therapy. The nail biting treatment options available to people are.
Stimulus Control
It is a session which confronts one's environmental attributes, finding ways of eliminating the problems that lead up to nail biting. Once the changes are made, and the mood is altered, then consciously one is made to give up the habit. If one were to open up about how and where this habit takes place, then psychotherapists will find ways to change one's setting in order to keep him/her distracted from nail biting.
Habit Reversal Training
It is a process of relaxing a person, making them feel at one with themselves, with certain muscle exercises included to help with the process of quitting.
Self Monitoring
People are kept under supervision, and a log is made out of their everyday habits that they put together themselves. When he/she is addressed with these, a kind of understanding is developed, reducing the chances of the nail biting habit from taking place.
Competing Response
Those who suffer from prolonged nail biting are given alternative methods to keep their hands busy to allow them to shift away from that urge to attack their nails. They're encouraged to start sewing, knitting, use toys as a way of distracting themselves or getting into activities to keep their minds busy.
With these ways on how to stop nail biting, you should in time, find a way to snuff the habit using these nail biting cures. There are other alternatives in tips to stop biting nails given, that go hand in hand with thumb sucking, like a medicine based solution that carries a bitter taste to keep nail biters and thumb suckers at bay when applied on these areas. Remember that with this habit, comes repercussions like sores in one's mouth, bloody nails and the possibility of a mouth infection. Stop biting!
It's a habit I can actually live with as opposed to something like nail biting and thumb sucking, or even something like a habit where one is obsessively pulling his/her hair out called trichotillomania. All these habits have a way of ruining us in the long run, and doesn't have to boil down to one doing it as a child, but could be because of some problem that was sitting in the dark has now a stronger hold as one grows up.
Nail biting, or what is scientifically known as onychopphagia, is a stress relieving problem that occurs usually from the time one is a teen, to later in their adult life. Be it boredom, stress, anxiety, excitement or when one isn't doing anything, this habit crops up and is termed as a 'nervous habit'. Even things like grinding one's teeth, and constantly picking at one's noise, are bad traits that must be stopped when adults notice their kids do it.
Nail biting doesn't have to do with one's environment or biological factors only, but is seen as a way of grooming oneself and unconsciously picking at his/her body be it his/her nails, hair or nose. There are disorders that come into play like body dysmorphic disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or compulsive self mutilation which I've mentioned (hair pulling). These habits can run in a family, passing down from previous generations. They can be dealt with either by natural solutions that you can try at home, or if way out of hand - medicines and psychotherapy.
Natural Ways to Stop Biting Nails
For ways to quit biting nails, we've compiled some remedial suggestions that could help someone you either know or yourself for that matter, to nip the habit in the bud. Now that the nail biting causes have been explored, let's find out what you can do about how to stop biting nails.
- If one were to file their nails constantly, like say every third day, then finding a good edge on your nail would be hard to pick at with your teeth.
- Placing acrylic nails over the ones you have, will serve the purpose of avoiding a nail biting session from taking place.
- Manicures for girls/women would work, since they can tell themselves of how they'd be ruining a perfect set of nails by biting them.
- If you/kids have a bad time dealing with nail biting, then getting braces affixed would make it pretty hard to bite down on your cuticles. Read further into, nail biting in children, for help.
- The key to finding ways to stop biting cuticles, is to distract one from finding a way to do so. Chewing gum will keep one's mouth busy, and therefore help in not biting.
- A water soluble solution called B vitamin inositol, is a medicine that is broken down in the brain, urging the production of serotonin, which is usually used for those suffering from OCD problems. Over time this can prove to be useful.
- Applying nail hardener to one's nail will not make the job easy of destroying these using your teeth.
- Wear gloves to avoid a nail biting problem. Feeling hopeless? Go to nail biting remedies for more ideas.
If no natural means work when it comes to treating nail biting, then your only option is to seek medical help and try out cognitive therapy. The nail biting treatment options available to people are.
Stimulus Control
It is a session which confronts one's environmental attributes, finding ways of eliminating the problems that lead up to nail biting. Once the changes are made, and the mood is altered, then consciously one is made to give up the habit. If one were to open up about how and where this habit takes place, then psychotherapists will find ways to change one's setting in order to keep him/her distracted from nail biting.
Habit Reversal Training
It is a process of relaxing a person, making them feel at one with themselves, with certain muscle exercises included to help with the process of quitting.
Self Monitoring
People are kept under supervision, and a log is made out of their everyday habits that they put together themselves. When he/she is addressed with these, a kind of understanding is developed, reducing the chances of the nail biting habit from taking place.
Competing Response
Those who suffer from prolonged nail biting are given alternative methods to keep their hands busy to allow them to shift away from that urge to attack their nails. They're encouraged to start sewing, knitting, use toys as a way of distracting themselves or getting into activities to keep their minds busy.
With these ways on how to stop nail biting, you should in time, find a way to snuff the habit using these nail biting cures. There are other alternatives in tips to stop biting nails given, that go hand in hand with thumb sucking, like a medicine based solution that carries a bitter taste to keep nail biters and thumb suckers at bay when applied on these areas. Remember that with this habit, comes repercussions like sores in one's mouth, bloody nails and the possibility of a mouth infection. Stop biting!
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