why do people bit their nails

Why people bite on their nails.

If you subconciously bite your nails, worried for a loved one, or curious about this behaviour, then you are at the right place. Nail biting is a surprisingly widespread human activity and it's your most annoying, it's gross disgusting, and embarrassing addiction. There are more than and , if not, millions of us as victims.

Within the past few decades, psychologists have been trying to understand the basic question as to why so many people with onychophagia( a chronic condition of biting on ones fingers that is repetitive and compulsive in nature, seen in both children and adults) spend so much time wrestling with biting at their fingers regardless of many attempts of stopping including the use of fake nails, plasters, bitter nail polish etc and given that the rational part of our brain wants to quit.

Why do we keep biting our nails? Anyone who bites their nails knows how difficult it is to do away with it and how it feels automatic like sweeping ones hands in their hair among others. Back to the answering the question, most of the early explanations of nail biting have been thoroughly disregarded an example being that of Sigmund Freud; who believed that excessive nursing during infancy could lead to a so-called oral receptive personality with no evidence for this idea among others.

Many researchers also consider nail biting(termed Onychophagia), hair plucking (called trichotillomania), and skin picking(refered as Excoriation) as mild forms of self-harm. Under this theory though biting one's nails would be a sign of hostility towards oneself. However, msot of these nail biters do aren't greatly fond of the damages of their habit.

Recently, psychologists have come to some more convincing theory; one of which is that it can provide a temporary escape, distraction, a bit of pleasure, or relaxation. Simply put, it’s a behaviour often associated with stress and anxiety. That rings truth about me, since I am a nail biter myself and realised I am mostly at war with my nails when I am stressed.

Though simply put by psychologists as a temporary escape, it is more complex than that. For instance, When bored or dissatisfied(understimulated), biting your nails gives you something to do or satisfied about. The biter is, however, distracted or has a temporary escape from some overwhelming emotios when he/she feels excited, impatiet, or nervous.

Also that sometimes though, it has nothing to do with emotions but, it’s just an absentminded tendency rather than a conscious choice during moments of extreme concentration. In this scenerio, you may not be aware you’re biting your nails while trying to work out a problem or study which strangely for me is quite relatableable. I often find myself busily biting at my nails when studying more so than at times of emotional state when I am studying.

Again, psychologists also be associates nail biting(termed Onychophagia), hair plucking (called trichotillomania), and skin picking(refered as Excoriation) with mental health conditions. Even with that stated, not all people with this conditions bite their nails and quite obviously not all nail biters have this condition. These conditions includes:

Attention deficit hyperativity disorder

Oppositional defiant disorder

Obessive compulsive disorder(OCD)

Seperation anxiety disorder

Tourette syndrome

Major depressive disorder (MDD)

But why do we(nail biters) keep biting our fingers regardless of the damages caused by it; some of which are the sore fingers, infections, teeth erosion etc. Knowing the formation of this habit important. The nails are always available and biting on them is as easy as one lifting off their hands or picking up something with the hand and sooner than later, a consistent cue is formed. Where, it is something that one does everytime, at the same time and at the same place(nails) . Now as one consistently bites on them, one attaches a reward to it and if we go by the above scientific theory, as a way to cope with emotions . It’s mostly likely something that was started as kid and just didn’t do away with it.

With the above provided, I do hope that your questions on why people bite on their nails and that your questions on why people bite on their nails is answered.