How To Stop Biting Nails ” Some Tips To Help
So, you need to know how to stop biting nails and are probably a habitual nail biter. You may not want really long nails, but just want a decent set that are not bitten to the wick. Thankfully, there are a few things you can try to help you stop.
Medications to help stop biting nails
Although it may seem odd, some anti-depressants have proven quite effective when you are trying to stop biting nails. They also work quite well if you are a compulsive hair puller (trichotillomania). These medications include fluoxetine, clomipramine, paroxetine, sertraline, fluvoxamine, escitalopram, citalopram, nefazodone and venlafaxine. Such medications are often used in conjunction with small amounts of anti-psychotics or the B vitamin inositol which increases serotonin levels in the brain to help stop nail biting.
Therapies to help stop biting nails
Behavioural therapy may also be worth trying, in particular, Habit Reversal Training (HRT) which includes four parts and intends to make you stop biting nails and hopefully, make you learn a better constructive habit. Then you would have the Stimulus Control therapy which is used to recognize and remove the stimulus for nail biting.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
We form our view of the world in conjunction with our personal experience, values, beliefs and assumptions. We act dependent on our own perceptions rather than the real world itself. NLP behavioural modelling allows the discovery of how we think, feel and behave and often utilises the use of visualisation techniques. So, if you find someone excelling in some particular field you can observe it to learn what actually makes them tick and that could be imbibed. NLP uses many techniques such as hypnosis, which is considered as an effective way to change the thinking and learning communication skills of a person.
One simple and effective technique in NLP is known as anchoring. For example, suppose something made you very happy in the past. You would then visualise that image and try and expand on it by bringing the sounds, feelings and smells back making the image sharper and more focused and it is certain to bring smile to your face.
This may well be used to kick bad habits like nail biting. If you need to stop nail biting you need to concentrate hard and use some of the NLP techniques. It could allow you to change the way you see the world and that would change your behaviour which in turn would help you stop nail biting.
Other therapies
Several aversion therapies exist to help stop you biting nails. These include coating the nails with unpleasant tasting special nail polish, wearing a rubber band on the wrist, snapping it when you find yourself biting nails. Chewing gum has also helped some to stop nail biting and if you keep a record of when you bite your nails you may reveal the reason for it as well. I hope the above has given you some ideas on how to stop biting nails, good luck!