I know the terrible habit that you all fight against, I battled it for many years. Then I read a simple method of quitting and found it worked. I think the book was called "Stopping Your Bad Habits" or something like that.
Put a rubber band around your wrist and snap your wrist with it every time you bite or even "gaze" to see where you want to bite. If friends ask you what it is, tell them you have something important to remember. It hurts when you snap it but don't hold back, really snap it hard! In only a few days you will begin to associate the biting with the pain of the snapped rubber band and you will stop. Believe me it works. If you find yourself starting up again in a few months, do it again.
Meanwhile, some other tips that were in the book:
- The day you start this carefully clip off any loose pieces of dead skin that may tempt you to bite, file your nails nice and put on hand lotion and/or cuticle oil or cream.
- Have a few extra rubber bands ready, you will probably break it and don't want to have an excuse for not continuing.
- Remember, don't hold back when you snap, shut your eyes and let 'er rip! Snap it every time, even if you only gaze at them or run your fingers over them to check for something to bite.
- Give yourself a manicure, put on a pretty ring or bracelet, paint your nails: begin to get ready to be proud of your nails and hands, it's fun!
- Use your hands to express yourself, lay them in your lap where people can see them, handle objects, direct attention to your hands. You have probably been ashamed of them for a long time and found ways to keep people from looking at them. Each day they will heal and grow nicer and you will enjoy drawing attention to them more and more.
- Carry some hand lotion and use it often!
- Enjoy your beautiful new hands, treat yourself to a new ring or nail polish!
Best of luck to you and let me know how it works for you, my name is Ann
