Nail biting. Bad habit, Compulsion, or self harm?

Health and Recovery
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I’ve absolutely torn through my nails at this point. Always have been a nail biter.

I’m just wondering where the line should be drawn. So I’m looking for input. I’ve a case for all three.

Habit: I’ve chown😜 my nails since I was a kid. It’s been ingrained for many years. But admittedly I’m more self aware of stopping myself when I notice it, when I care.

Compulsion: when anxiety hits I I feel compelled to do it. Same feeling I get when I’m compelled to use. Same feeling I get when I pick at my skin.

Trigger warning

Self harm: I hate to admit it to myself, But I’ll do it it until they bleed, raw and sore. Stinging to the open air, stabbing when touched. When the anxiety is bad, when the voices are getting to me; I focus on it? Another distraction tool maybe. If the physical pain cuts the mental pain. That’s self harm…? That I don’t want to admit to myself.

Trigger off

What’s your experience? Where do you draw your line? Any tips or insights?

:llama:

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I used to bite my nails. Then someone suggested I file them to make them smooth and it did indeed work. I don’t bite my nails anymore.

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I don’t think nail biting is self harm.

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Hrm, I can try that.

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Why not?

I’m drawing blood

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I think it’s more anxiety related rather than self hate.

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Who says self harm is purely about self hate?

That’s one possible facet, but far from the only one.

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Does it occur more often when you are stressed?

It might sound weird but birds that live in cages can pull out all of their feathers when stressed. I wonder if this is like that?

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Oh I will whole heartedly agree it happens when I’m more stressed.

starts playing Freebird

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I know what you mean, I do the same thing with picking sometimes, I’ll be going along fine and I’ll be just about healed and then something will be bothering me and the compulsion to pick will be so great and then I’m all of a sudden digging at it until it’s bleeding and it gets so tender even to touch let alone pick and I don’t understand why I can’t just stop. I don’t know why I feel the need to torture myself. Why I get this satisfaction from it. It’s hard to know where to draw the line if it’s a habit, compulsion or self-harm. I think because it’s all 3 at different times maybe depending on how we’re doing mentally. So they are multi-purpose habits I think maybe. Idk I’ve never been able to crack the code or break the habit personally. I just came off a particularly bad round and I’m all chewed up right now and sore. Wish I could stop.

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Multipurpose habit. I like that. Lol.

I’m wishing you some relief too leaf.

It helps to know I’m not alone in these questions. cheers

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I used to pull hair out. Pretty much would leave bald areas. I was put on an SSRI for something else but it helped the hair pulling

For me I wondered if I was doing like exaggerated grooming

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Yeah I’m on 200mg of Zoloft. I’ve noticed that’s helped me take notice of when I’m doing it, and I can better fight the compulsion too, can with a lot of compulsions.

Hrm, perhaps a ritual then?

Thanks Jim Bob. That helps, if I think about it like a ritual triggered by stress. The pet bird metaphor, the PETaphor, could have some weight.

Rituals I can fight. Rituals I can break.

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