Keep biting fingers

Dip your fingertips in alcohol or vinegar?? I don't know, something to make you draw back. Keep a bottle of it with you wherever you go and just keep ya fingers dipped. May have a little odor to it, but look on the bright side, your fingertips being soaked in alcohol or vinegar will help keep away germs.

I'm in no way a doctor just sharing what crossed my mind when I read your post. God bless and i hope things work out for you

frater_domus said:

Hah, that is a bit tough, as they aren't fully healed. It would hurt. A lot. Interesting measure though. The smell would certain keep me on edge. This might be something to explore, should I manage to get to that stage.

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It would cause your nose to pay attention and defiantly your taste buds

Plead the blood of Jesus over your nails, anoint yourself oil and bound that demon of nail biting!

But seriously....... I'd consider the M. Jackson look with the bandaids on each finger tip....and once healed....get the strongest, non-smelly hot pepper you can find and rub them on your fingers until you get use to not biting them.

frater_domus said:

Hey folks. I got a problem. I keep biting my fingers. Not the nails, but the skin around it. Mostly dry skin, but when it gets serious, it may cause slight bleeding. It is a habit I picked up as a kid. Well, it is time to nip that problem in the butt.

The reason this issue is so insidious, is that it is subconscious. I do not notice when I take a bite or keep working the skin with my other hand. As such, I can not always prevent it. It would require 24/7 monitoring, which hard to pull off. Some percautions I have taken is to wear gloves (most of the time just the right hand is enough) or put band-aids on all my fingers. However, this motion is so deeply anchored within me, that even two weeks of being dry, it comes back effortlessly.

One thing to note is that I do not crave it. When I have no access to fingers, I do not feel ny better or worse. It is had become as natural as scratching my nose, another reason it so difficult for me to monitor my progress. In that sense, it may just be a habit, not an addition, but trust me, it is just as detructive.

Luke 11:24-26 tells us to replace a bad habit with a better one, as merely stopping does not work. This is where my troubles begin. What could I possibly replace this with? Also, how can I monitor it if I do not even notice it half the time? I hope you folks can help me.

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Don't know what the answer is. It's a nervous habit. I used to be a nail biter, used to do it while watching tv. I stopped years aho and now always have nice strong nails which i love putting nail polish on.
Prayer and vigilance is my advice. Distract yourself. Be disciplined. Take care of your hands and moisturise them. Value your fingers and tell yourself not to damage but nurture them.

RaymondG said:

Plead the blood of Jesus over your nails, anoint yourself oil and bound that demon of nail biting!

But seriously....... I'd consider the M. Jackson look with the bandaids on each finger tip....and once healed....get the strongest, non-smelly hot pepper you can find and rub them on your fingers until you get use to not biting them.

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Hey thats a good one too

frater_domus said:

Well, it is time to nip that problem in the butt.

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"Bud" not "butt" - it's a horticultural metaphor; when a gardener wants to stunt the growth of a plant or kill a weed, he nips it in the bud (which is the growing tip).

Putting smelly fish oil on your skin might help heal it while also reminding you not to chew; then, when it's better, hot pepper should do the trick - if it keeps you from touching your eyes and nose, it might keep you healthier all winter, too.

Don't know if this is still an issue you're dealing with, but my fiance and I BOTH have this issue. It's usually accompanied by stress or anxiety, but it's just something I do every single day. And it's not just my fingers. It can be other parts of my skin that I pick at. But my fingers and cuticles are always in disrepair.

Something that my psychiatrist suggested was a supplement that is used off-label for OCD, called NAC. This finger biting is a type of compulsion. I can't stop. No matter what I do, I just find myself going back to it. NAC might help you, and you can get it fairly cheap offline or at most vitamin shops. If you do decide to go this route, here are a couple of tips that no one told me.

It can spoil. Keep it in the fridge. Also, play around with the dosage yourself, as there aren't really any negative effects, but it's reported that 2,000 - 3,000 mg is where you'll start seeing some changes.

For a while, I didn't really think it did anything, but I notice when I DON'T take it, my compulsions are a lot worse. And another bonus is that it helps with other compulsions as well, not just skin picking/biting. So if you're trying to kick another habit, it might help with that too.

We can’t replace one habit with another. Why? Because we have habits for a reason. Therefore, if we replace one habit with another, we haven’t addressed the reason, thus we will never be free of a destructive problem.

BSOCS tells me that your biting of skin (something I do occasionally) is because there is a part of you that is low in your sense of confidence. If this is true, then it means that you’re submitting to individuals in a way that diminishes your nature, your spirit, your self-worth. And if this is true, then it clearly shows that your belief system is eschewed somewhere. Don’t be offended, as this applies to 100% of all people.

Fear is what rules this planet. Fear moves people to do things they would never do. All throughout the life of Christ and thereafter, fear is rampant. The entire New Testament is a book of fearful people doing the unbelievable….spreading the Good News with the reality of being tortured, hung, beheaded, beaten or stoned to death. And while Paul experienced much fear and anxiety, he gives us amazing advice on how to be confident. He tells us that the thoughts of mere people do not concern him. He doesn’t care if people judge him or not. Constantly you hear “Christians” gripe about being judged by others. Good grief….if a person has their life together, the judgements of others are laughable. Truly, we don’t care what others think!

When you learn how not to be offended. When you learn how to shun the ideas that the world wants you to think of yourself, which is that you’re not good enough, send that garbage packing! Because the truth is, is that you ARE good enough! In fact, you’re incredible! The fact that you are here verses not being here should frighten you! So why are you here? Is it because God happens to find you, HIS desired creation, something worth actually creating? Did you not know that you were just an idea at one point? But through His imagination and then Power, he built you exactly as you basically are to fulfill a specific purpose both with body and mind. You are unique and useful in so many ways. You’re important!

Once we get our belief system established and in proper alignment (KNOW Paul, and he will transform your life with his teachings….wow), then your ability to submit to Christ and NOT to people, will become much more in proper alignment. Figuring out how you falsely submit to people is a really, really big deal and the sooner you realize how you’re submitting to people in rank and order, and fix that bogus deal, the sooner you’ll be free of your habits and addictions! And when you begin to grab hold of your addictions (obedience), you feel amazing confidence! You feel good about yourself, not in an egotistical way, but in a normal way, the way God wants us to feel when we have self-control. Self-control is always accompanied with a good sense of oneself, and when we feel rightly, as God would have us, our minds are calm, relaxed and clear thinking. That’s the exact kind of person that God loves and finds to be useful, for confident people that are kind are of the best, highest quality of leader there is. And leaders Share of themselves….just about every part of themselves we offer up to others.

So believe. Believe the truth, which is that you really are a good person regardless of anything you’ve ever done. That’s exactly how I feel about myself and I assure you, I am one of the worst people on the planet. Fortunately God found me in a Powerful way and I have completely changed. I really am a new person, proven to myself by not being able to remember how I used to think or feel. I just know that I felt awful (16 years of wanting to die and wishing the same upon many, many others.) When we begin to truly believe in ourselves, that we are an alright people, our minds open and we become invincible.

Who knows….maybe I got lucky with my gut feeling, here. J

I just came upon this thread browsing the net looking for help with my finger/skin biting, picking. I dont even know I am doing it most of the time and have been doing it my whole life, I am 58, I can not stop. it bothers everyone around me, and I have come to hear that it is a condition called Dermatophagia, and it is kind of a mental thing. I really do want to stop, but I dont know how, going to try cuticle cream and gloves, I already do Yoga and meditation and exercise and keeping my mouth busy ( I will just use my hands then). any one have luck with this issue ? I am going to try accupunture to help also, with the anxiety involved

One poster above suggested NAC. This might actually help. Good luck.

Dip your fingers in cat poo...ewwwwww

I know it can be hard to overcome. Try drawing crucifixes on the areas you tend to bite?