Why you bite your nails and what they mean

According to experts, about 30% of children and adolescents and 10% of adults bite their nails most unconsciously. Although many people often think of nail-biting as a nervous habit, the cause is not always anxiety or fear.

About 1 in 20 people have a disorder in which they repeat the same behaviors involving certain so-called body parts, including biting their nails. It is not uncommon for people who suffer from this to spoil their appearance and cause pain themselves.

These disorders have been linked to tic disorders and even obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is very difficult to stop a repetitive motion. Nevertheless, many still view it as simply a habit of nervousness and feel too weak to overcome it.

5 things nail-biting can say about you

1. Perfectionism

One study found that people who compulsively bite their nails are often perfectionists. By biting your nails, you're trying to relieve boredom, irritability, and dissatisfaction. The researchers first asked 48 subjects about their ability to plan behavior and regulate their emotions. People with repetitive behavioral disorders are said to be considered perfectionists in terms of planning. They tended to make too many plans, overwork themselves, and get frustrated quickly before taking action. 

2. Concentrate

Many people tend to bite their nails while they are highly focused on solving a problem.

3. Impatience

Fatigue, boredom, and frustration can also cause nail-biting.

looking at nails

4. Dissatisfied

Nail-biting can become a habit that temporarily makes you feel better when you are actually dissatisfied. Nail-biting people often pursue goals, have high expectations of themselves, and are often disappointed and frustrated when they fail to achieve them. Researchers say biting your nails is a form of self-aggression and an expression of self-hatred.

5. Psychological problems

In many cases, multiple psychological factors play a role in nail-biting. Some researchers have concluded that people bite their toenails because of a psychological disorder. The famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud believed that nail-biting was caused by a psychological developmental disorder, which he called the oral phase of psychosexual development.

Nail-biting can be viewed as a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder, but there can be many different causes. Behaviors that start out impulsively under certain circumstances can in many cases develop into long-lasting habits that are difficult to overcome. If you are severely suffering from this habit, you should seriously consider seeking psychological counseling.

Best Regards By SAEED ZULFIQAR