Do I Have Onychophagia?

Do you uncontrollably bite your nails?

Do you experience distressful feelings of unease prior to biting?

Do you feel relieved or do you experience feelings of pleasure after biting?

Do you have tissue damage to fingers, nails, and cuticles?

Does the nail-biting cause complicated family and social relationships?

Do you feel embarrassed and guilty, often related to the appearance of physical damage to skin and nails?

Do you have mouth injuries, dental problems, abscesses, and infections?

Based on your answers, it is unlikely that you have onychophagia. Nail-biting can be temporary and relatively non-destructive. However, it can also develop into a severe, long-term problem. Onychophagia, also called onychophagy, is an oral habit and grooming disorder in which the person uncontrollably bites their nails that is destructive to the fingernails and surrounding skin. If professional treatment is necessary, it usually focuses on the psychological and physical factors involved in nail-biting.

Based on your answers, you may be displaying one or two signs related to onychophagia. Seeking medical help may be important. Nail-biting usually starts in early childhood and may continue through adolescence and adulthood, although the behavior often decreases or stops with age. Onychophagia is a pathological oral habit and grooming disorder. Someone with onychophagia can’t stop nail-biting, which causes severe damage to the fingernails and surrounding tissue. Nail-biting is related to anxiety, because the behavior relieves stress or boredom. Most people who habitually bite their nails report that they do so when they feel nervous, bored, or even hungry.

Unfortunately, you are displaying the symptoms typically seen among individuals who have onychophagia. Seeking professional help is essential. Onychophagia is a serious nail-biting disorder that in some cases needs treatment. Interventions that block contact between the teeth and nails (e.g., gloves, mittens) can sometimes help. In severe cases treatment focuses on eliminating the emotional factors associated with the nail-biting behavior. Cognitive behavioral therapy, muscle relaxation, and self-help techniques may be beneficial. To obtain positive results, it’s important that the person is cooperative and shows motivation to get better.