h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This is a serious question. I've bitten my nails since I was 7 and am now 34. It's definitely a stress-related thing. There have been two times over the years when I've managed to give up, and they've both been periods where I was off work or just generally relaxed. My fingers permanently look like something out of a horror movie, and I'm self-conscious about it. Last Summer I broke a tooth doing it, and said to myself "right, that's it, it's gone far enough". I lasted 2 weeks. I've tried that stuff you paint on which tastes crappy, but it obviously doesn't taste quite bad enough! I've promised myself presents if I give up - I buy them and start again. Willpower works, but the most I can manage is 2-3 weeks. Part of the problem is that one moment of weakness is all it takes, even after 3 weeks, to be back to square one again. Any ideas?? (I am male, by the way, so wearing falsies or nail varnish may not be what I'm after, but then again I'll try anything once).

From what I can read into this, you only bite your nails at work. Is your position a very stressful one?
Can you delegate any of your responsibilities to someone else?
Try relaxing more at work - don't try to get too many things done at once. Take your time as much as possible, and work at your own pace.
May work, may not!
'G'

Get some white cotton croupier type gloves and wear them at work?

Find something else to do instead when you're stressed - stress balls or something of that type.
Or you could take up smoking...

clear nailvarnish? doesn't taste bad but its irritating if you bite it 'cause you get all nasty little bits in your mouth.
I couldn't be bothered paying for things which supposedly tasted nasty - I made a new years resolution, & painted my nails *the whole time* to break the habit...

heyheyhey...i have been through this many times...but i am almost positive it worked the last time...dont just paint your nails with that junk...it comes off after just a few nibbles...get some fingernail pollish remover...dip your fingers in it....now your fingers and fingernails will taste so much nastier than they did when u painted them with the clear stuff... the taste doesnt come off untill you bathe...

Get a really really filthy job......
BCNU - Crescent

Thankyou all. Some of these things I have tried, but I'm not going to tell you which!

Actually I haven't bitten since the original posting. I think this is partly because I am on holiday at the moment ( = less stress) and partly through just sharing this difficulty with all of you out there - a bit like the self-help group idea.

I'll keep you posted!

Manicure - that's what you need. Your nails will receive loving, expert attention, and they'll look a lot better.

This will help your willpower, because you won't want to spoil them, especially after paying so much to get them done.

And before you ask, it's not just women who get it done nowadays. Indeed, in London they have places where they specialize in looking after the hands and feet of men only.

If you can't afford that, buy your own manicure set, and spend a litle time every day on your nails, so that there's nothing for your teeth. Better still, get a travel set, take it to your place of work, and use that when you're stressed out.

Good luck!

Your original email sounds as if I could have written it (except for the age!) I started biting at around four or five. I have stopped twice, for periods of about six months, and ended up with a fine handful of nails. However, both times I stopped IT JUST HAPPENNED. I didn't dcide to, and it was only sometime into the growing process that I consciously 'took ownership'of it. Both times it was in comparatively stressful times as well. I have tried stopping consciously before and since, and it has never worked. Spooky.

I found the nail varnish, because it felt odd, just made me more conscious of them (and I'm female!) and it just gave me something to scratch off with my teeth.

The thing about nail biting is - unlike any other 'addiction' if you like, you can do it anywhere, anytime, no equipment needed - Lethal.

yeah...i also found that if there was polish on my nails, i would be more like;ly to scratch it off with my teeth than to bite my nails....once i had scratched all the polish off, i would bite the nails

I didn't like my nails to look messy like it does if you scratch varnish off... Now they're too long to comfortably bite...

ah...i see...good idea...if they grow long enough, it wont be pleasant to bite them.

..which is fine, until they snap, and then there's a snaggy bit, and you just can't stand the feeling of it and the next thing you know.... aaargh!

I keep an emery board handy, too...

So well organised, so restrained: I really admire you. When I had an emery board I just plastered around with my nails until I files them into oblivion....
Where do you find your self control?

Thing is, they've now become a talking point. My friends all ask the question: what has Joanna done with her nails this week?
It'd be too mortifying to say 'erm well, I bit them all...'

I'm just the one with the colourful nails now.

Joanna (currently with deep purple having changed from turquoise earlier today)

Even when I grew them I couldn't get the painting right: How do you avoid the cuticles?

I ignore them and hope they'll go away. Or something. This has been my theory until now - I never learnt to paint my nails properly. I tend to get varnish on my fingers too, but its easier to scrape it off if you wash your hair afterward...

Wow. You should write a book