I am 47, I have been chewing my nails since I was six years old. I started biting my lower lip when I was five, and when my dad confronted me and told me to stop biting my lip, I immediately (in a manner of speaking) began chewing my nails. I believe chewing my nails is a fearful physical response to a dramatic or traumatic set of circumstances, which as a child I had not the power or ability to defend against myself-my father was abusive. Since Ive grown, I have recognized that I chew my nails when I feel I am being overpowered by something or someone and that I cannot defend myself. This includes things major and miner; things like a utility bill I couldn't pay, going to court, letters from the IRS, sliding down a snowy hill in my automobile and even attempting an elaborate dinner-I am not much of a cook. I can say that standing up for myself is extremely difficult and I do try, but I usually defer to the self destructive mechanism of chewing my nails because at least that, "I" can control.

I just wanted to add that I will chew them down to the nail bed and then start in on the skin, 'til I am bleeding. I have tried a myriad remedy to stop biting my nails. I personally do not subscribe to the perfunctory pseudo social anxious-nervous rhetoric. I believe it is a deep embedded wound, manifested in self destructive behavior, culminating from self worth and/or self esteem, that cannot be corrected topically or consciously. I find that topical attempts to quit are desultory at best. My greatest cessation were periods of great personal growth and or enjoyment. Like when I started my business and I was proud of myself at my achievement. Celebration and ingratiating my personal best achievements have brought about more success at quitting, but I also must confess that facing my "demon" (father)has been equally redeeming.

I might also add that I get a self disdaining sense of achievement when I can impulsively cause injury and pain to myself before any one else gets the chance. This in turn creates a higher threshold of tolerance to pain-all sorts of pain-both physical and mental. Its easier to break-up with a girl when all I have to do is gnaw my fingers to blood. I truly believe that the chewing of the finger nails is a self destructive mechanism, the destruction of ones self, rather than growth.

I bite my nails from time to time but mostly if I really don't want to bite them like now when I'm trying to grow them out instead of biting them ill bite them softly not enough to break them though or ill slide my teeth underneath them.. Yeah it sounds weird but it helps me not to bite them so yeah sorry if this answer sucks but its all I have ^ ^" good luck

I bite my nails, and it's horrible, their always short, and I get really embarresed when people look at my hand. I have been biting them since iwas about 6 and I can't stop, I do it when I;m bored, meeting new people, and nervous, and in lessons, if you just ask yourself why you re biting them, and think to yousedf, why am I ding this, then you will soon stop, ithasn't worked for me, but for others it has, hoe it helped x

I did the same as a kid until the skin would go over my nail. My mom helped me to stop by making a mix of water, chili powder, chili pepper pieces (round ones) and having me dip my fingers in it. After it dried, every time I would put a finger in my mouth it would burn on an atomic level lol. A few times of doing that, I stopped biting them and have had nice nails since with no more need to use the sauce. I am so grateful she did that, nothing else worked. If you like super spicy stuff, I hope someone else can come up with a solution for you. Good luck everyone!

I'm 15 and have been biting my nails since I was 2. does anyone know what causes this? Everyone has stress and anxiety in their lives. Why do some people bite their nails and some don't? Is it something caused in early childhood? I know I started when my parents got divorced. I wonder if there is a link.