What is the deal with guys who constantly gnaw on their nails/cuticles? Especially in public. Seriously, do that shit on your own time, it's disgusting in public.
I've seen both genders do it, I can't understand it for the life of me. Like, you know we have tools to do that now, right? They're these little clippy things, it's great. You don't even have to put your fingers in your mouth!
What is the deal with guys who constantly gnaw on their nails/cuticles? Especially in public. Seriously, do that shit on your own time, it's disgusting in public.
I've mostly only seen girls doing it to be honest.
I've never understood it either. Trim your nails, kids!
My nails break at work a lot, so I just keep a small nail grooming kit in my purse. I particularly love the portability of Tweezerman brand "matchbox" nail files.
Usually when I see it, it's guys. I've yet to see a girl do that. Not ruling it out, but from what I've seen it's guys.
It's a compulsion. I literally cannot stop, despite several attempts and endless snide comments from my dad, who likewise hates it. It's related to anxiety, and I think a combination of Bitrex nail polish and either Habit Reversal Training or an anti-anxiety drug would fix it.
Believe me when I say I don't choose to gnaw my nails and cuticles (sometimes to the point of bleeding and days-long pain). I just literally cannot help myself.
I don't bite my fingernails per se, I rather eat away the callouses around my finger, habit that I have been able to limit to one hand since I started to play the guitar. Seriously, try to push on guitar strings without callouses, it hurts like hell after 20 minutes.
The only time I actually commit this crime of autosarcophagy is when I'm hungry and am doing nothing.
I used to bite my nails all the time. They were always so short they weren't good for anything. Finally I just stopped and now I couldn't even bite them if I wanted to. They've gotten really hard somehow. The only problem is that I usually have really long nails that are practically claws.
I don't bite my fingernails per se, I rather eat away the callouses around my finger, habit that I have been able to limit to one hand since I started to play the guitar. Seriously, try to push on guitar strings without callouses, it hurts like hell after 20 minutes.
The only time I actually commit this crime of autosarcophagy is when I'm hungry and am doing nothing.
I don't bite my fingernails per se, I rather eat away the callouses around my finger, habit that I have been able to limit to one hand since I started to play the guitar. Seriously, try to push on guitar strings without callouses, it hurts like hell after 20 minutes.
The only time I actually commit this crime of autosarcophagy is when I'm hungry and am doing nothing.
It's called dermatophagia. I've got that too.
Sorry about that, "autosarcophagy" was what I saw on the Wikipedia.
I don't bite my fingernails per se, I rather eat away the callouses around my finger, habit that I have been able to limit to one hand since I started to play the guitar. Seriously, try to push on guitar strings without callouses, it hurts like hell after 20 minutes.
The only time I actually commit this crime of autosarcophagy is when I'm hungry and am doing nothing.
It's called dermatophagia. I've got that too.
Wait, there are other people who do this? I didn't realize. (I have a tendency to literally gnaw on my finger when I'm very distracted)
I was once told by a friend that sometimes I sigh really loudly (really, I had just forgotten to breathe for several seconds and had to compensate). I was very self-conscious about my breathing for the next few days.
Also, sometimes when I'm thinking I'll subconsciously bounce my leg up and down. Does that annoy people?
Where did the stupid "Valley Girl" accent come from?
Literally, from the way teenagers in the San Fernando Valley in California used to talk. It was then spread to the English-speaking world at large by Hollywood.
I knew where it came from, sorry, I should have used different language. I'm moreso wondering how that accent came to be, specifically the use of the rising inflection.
I heard chewing fingernails is actually as addicting as heroin. Also, I am very guilty of this egregious sin. Really gotta get around to stopping that...
I heard chewing fingernails is actually as addicting as heroin. Also, I am very guilty of this egregious sin. Really gotta get around to stopping that...
I knew where it came from, sorry, I should have used different language. I'm moreso wondering how that accent came to be, specifically the use of the rising inflection.
Well, as I currently live in the SFV, I'll ask my linguistics professor today for you.
I don't bite my fingernails per se, I rather eat away the callouses around my finger, habit that I have been able to limit to one hand since I started to play the guitar. Seriously, try to push on guitar strings without callouses, it hurts like hell after 20 minutes.
The only time I actually commit this crime of autosarcophagy is when I'm hungry and am doing nothing.
It's called dermatophagia. I've got that too.
Wait, there are other people who do this? I didn't realize.
It doesn't really bug me if I know people bite their nails, I just don't really want to be witness to it. I was being particularly displeased about it this morning, as a guy in my class was sitting in my field of vision in such a way there was no way to not see him AND pay attention to the professor, and he was constantly biting at his fingers, even with nothing there to bite at. His hands looked awful. I have a weird thing for noticing people's hands quickly, and he just obviously was putting his hands in bad condition that way. And he wouldn't stop, not even to talk.
Like I said. It's a compulsion. When it's so bad you can't stop to talk, that's usually associated with clinical OCD. I get that it's unsightly, but there is literally nothing he can do about it, save for stay inside all day and avoid getting in people's sight lines, but that's no way to live.
I have a friend who is able to get his friends out of habits by constantly mocking them for it. His girlfriend used to be a compulsive snapper, but he mimicked it until she stopped. He's done this with a few people, but he is also a compulsive nail-biter, so I am beyond his help.
Like I said. It's a compulsion. When it's so bad you can't stop to talk, that's usually associated with clinical OCD. I get that it's unsightly, but there is literally nothing he can do about it, save for stay inside all day and avoid getting in people's sight lines, but that's no way to live.
That does help put it into perspective a lot more, so thanks for explaining that it's compulsive/involuntary, because I sincerely didn't understand the appeal. And if you're seriously that bad off? It sounds like something that's stemmed by anxiety and should be an indicator that said person should seek outside help.
The only time I'm capable of not biting my nails is when I have a cold sore. Then my anxiety of getting herpes everywhere overrides all my desires to chew on them. -_-
That does help put it into perspective a lot more, so thanks for explaining that it's compulsive/involuntary, because I sincerely didn't understand the appeal. And if you're seriously that bad off? It sounds like something that's stemmed by anxiety and should be an indicator that said person should seek outside help.
There's not really anything a person can do for a behavior like that when it's coupled with OCD. Yeah, obsessive-compulsive disorder is an "anxiety disorder," but the clinical definition of anxiety here is significantly different than the definition of that word when we use it to describe how the average person feels during the lead up to a test or something. If you've ever had a panic attack, you'll know the difference.
The typical thought process for someone with OCD is something like, "If I don't gnaw my nails constantly, disease will kill everyone and everything I have ever loved." Most medication only lessens the severity of symptoms, so someone wouldn't be chewing every three seconds, but they'd still have to do it. My bets are that that guy has already sought outside help.
The only time I'm capable of not biting my nails is when I have a cold sore. Then my anxiety of getting herpes everywhere overrides all my desires to chew on them. -_-
Mhm. The last time I stopped biting my nails for a significant period of time was when I was working in Guatemala. I was too repulsed by the state of my hands and the possibility of parasites or bacterial being in my nailbeds with all that grime.
My brother has it as well. His is brought on by nerves and social insecurity. He also totally gets that its not to nice to see, however as has been stated he can't control it.
Comments
Believe me when I say I don't choose to gnaw my nails and cuticles (sometimes to the point of bleeding and days-long pain). I just literally cannot help myself.
EDIT: Fuck, you guys are judgmental. Christ.
The only time I actually commit this crime of autosarcophagy is when I'm hungry and am doing nothing.
(I have a tendency to literally gnaw on my finger when I'm very distracted)
Also, sometimes when I'm thinking I'll subconsciously bounce my leg up and down. Does that annoy people?
EDIT: I think I broke the forum...
The typical thought process for someone with OCD is something like, "If I don't gnaw my nails constantly, disease will kill everyone and everything I have ever loved." Most medication only lessens the severity of symptoms, so someone wouldn't be chewing every three seconds, but they'd still have to do it. My bets are that that guy has already sought outside help.