Quitting Nail Biting

[Codymoogle]

Inspired by Vic's Quitting Smoking topic, I figure it's time for me to quit doing something I've done since as far back as I can remember - nail biting.

Though not as harmful to a person's health as smoking, I'm going to list the reasons I want to quit this.

1. It looks unattractive. Stubby, chewed nails don't look very nice...As much as I don't usually think about my nails' appearance, more than likely nail care (among other things), or lack thereof, gives an impression of a person.

2. I can't open things unaided that people with longer, stronger nails can. An example (even though I don't drink it anymore) is pop/soda cans.

3. Nail biting transfers hand germs to my mouth, and mouth germs to my hands - yuck! I'm sure nail biting has made me sick a time or two at least.

4. I am sick and tired of the wounds! I've gotten cuts and other wounds on my fingers from either biting my nails too far down, or from an outside source in a place where my nail would have been if it wasn't chewed down.

5. Continuing from wounds...Infections! Every so often I'll get a nasty and painful infection from a wound caused by nail biting.

6. Also, I spend good money on bandages, ointment, and other wound care products. I don't want to waste them on nail biting! Once, I had 6 fingers (5 fingers, 1 thumb) bleeding and in need of band-aids at ONE TIME. Not fun.

I'll post this for two reasons. One, as a reminder to myself. Two, to see how many others bite their nails and possibly want to quit.

~ moogle

[Jabez]

YES! I have done this for as long as I can remember and even when I try to quit, I find my fingers in my mouth without giving any conscious thought to it. I've long since quit caring about the way my fingers look, (even though I do get self-conscious about them from time to time still) but I mainly want to quit due to the pain I keep inflicting. When you bite too far down, you can't apply any pressure on that finger without it hurting.

And like you moogle, I often have multiple fingers in bandages at one time... not fun.

So in short, yes, I would love to quit.

Edit: And also, a lot of times when I am watching TV or sitting at the computer, I will put my pacifier in my mouth just so my hands won't gravitate to my mouth without me giving it any thought.

[Horndog]

One day, I will kick the habit of picking my nails. One day... maybe when I'm 90 or something.

[SilverIce]

Yes, i do this too.. sadly... although i dont do it habitually and i never get infections~ germ transfer etc. I just had a bad childhood experience with my mom sucking at cutting my nails. lmao sad but true.

[drynot]

I'm right there with you. I have bitten my nails for as long as I can remember and I have also suffered from cuts and wounds from biting them too much. I can give it up for a couple of months or so but always seem to go back to chewing them.

[diamondback6881]

I used to bite my nails constantly when I was younger. I can't for the life of me remember what I did to quit. I do remember that I didn't do the capsicum(the active ingredient in pepper spray)-on-the-nails thing. I still occasionally pick at my nails, but not as often as I used to.

[sarah_ab]

some people pick or bite their nails during a particularly high stress period of their life and then when that stresser goes away, will cease biting their nails and not even be aware of it, because often they were not aware they were biting their nails to begin with.

when my boyfriend was married to his ex wife he used to bite his nails constantly, but within a year of us being together he noticed one day he had completely stopped biting his nails.

my nail biting is related to my ocd.. in that the 'feel' of long nails, either toe nails or finger nails will interupt my day so much i have to either bite my fingernails, or hte minute i notice my toe nails to long i have to cut them.

however there is a certain length i like them, which is not tooo short, so i have not really ever had a problem with cut bleeding fingers or infections as a result.

[NappyBoy86]

One day, I will kick the habit of picking my nails. One day... maybe when I'm 90 or something.

or when I'm dead

[curiositykilledthecat]

I gnaw on them simply from boredom. I'm not that bad though except for the occasional time when I bite the nail too far down.

[beallucanb]

I bit my nails up to the age of 12, they were so bad at times they bled and were very painful, I just made it a point to stop and I did.

Since that time I know what will power is, and I have used my will power it to loose 130+ pounds, stop smoking, and stop drinking.

Your mind is your most powerful weapon you have, use it for more than remembering important numbers and trivial stuff.

[Codymoogle]

I bit my nails up to the age of 12, they were so bad at times they bled and were very painful, I just made it a point to stop and I did.

Since that time I know what will power is, and I have used my will power it to loose 130+ pounds, stop smoking, and stop drinking.

Your mind is your most powerful weapon you have, use it for more than remembering important numbers and trivial stuff.

Definitely, Beallucanb! Today's the second day for me not biting my nails - I caught myself earlier when I was going to do it.

Hopefully nail biting is just another thing I can check off my list soon...

~ moogle

[diaperkevin]

Inspired by Vic's Quitting Smoking topic, I figure it's time for me to quit doing something I've done since as far back as I can remember - nail biting.

Though not as harmful to a person's health as smoking, I'm going to list the reasons I want to quit this.

1. It looks unattractive. Stubby, chewed nails don't look very nice...As much as I don't usually think about my nails' appearance, more than likely nail care (among other things), or lack thereof, gives an impression of a person.

2. I can't open things unaided that people with longer, stronger nails can. An example (even though I don't drink it anymore) is pop/soda cans.

3. Nail biting transfers hand germs to my mouth, and mouth germs to my hands - yuck! I'm sure nail biting has made me sick a time or two at least.

4. I am sick and tired of the wounds! I've gotten cuts and other wounds on my fingers from either biting my nails too far down, or from an outside source in a place where my nail would have been if it wasn't chewed down.

5. Continuing from wounds...Infections! Every so often I'll get a nasty and painful infection from a wound caused by nail biting.

6. Also, I spend good money on bandages, ointment, and other wound care products. I don't want to waste them on nail biting! Once, I had 6 fingers (5 fingers, 1 thumb) bleeding and in need of band-aids at ONE TIME. Not fun.

I'll post this for two reasons. One, as a reminder to myself. Two, to see how many others bite their nails and possibly want to quit.

~ moogle

I quit when I took up smoking. Took me 17 years then to quit smoking. And no, I didn't go back to nail biting.