Compulsive Nail Biting Disorder
Compulsive nail biting disorder is considered an impulse control disorder. It is classified as an emotional or behavioral disorder with the onset typically occurring during adolescence or childhood.
Health Consequences
One of the most common consequences of compulsive nail biting is the fact that it leads to the breakage of skin on the cuticle. Upon improper removal, these cuticles are prone to infections caused my microorganisms and viruses including paronychia. Your saliva can cause your skin to become red and infected. There are a number of dental problems associated with nail biting such as gingival injury, malocclusion and/or misalignment of your anterior dentition. Compulsive nail biting transfer harmful bacteria and various pinworms (lodged beneath the surface of your nail) from your anal region to the oral cavity. Various stomach and gastric ailments can develop when you ingest your nails. In addition, chronic nail biting can lead to nail deformities.
Epidemiology
Nearly 30% of all children ranging between the ages of 7-10 years participate in compulsive nail biting. Approximately 45% of all teenagers also compulsively bite their nails. Diagnosing a compulsive nail biting disorder can be rather complicated at times because nail biters hardly ever admit that they have a problem.
What Causes Compulsive Nail Biting?
The exact cause of compulsive nail biting is unknown, but environmental and biological factors appear to play a role in its development. If you suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder or body dysmorphic disorder, you have an increased risk of developing a nail biting disorder.
What Are The Warning Signs of a Compulsive Nail Biting Disorder?
Compulsive Nail Biting Disorder can develop as a coping mechanism for stress.
Self-Soothing: When you are stressed, you find comfort in biting your nails. This behavior has a soothing effect on your nervous systems and it helps reduce your stress levels. In addition, you tend to bite nails more frequently when you feel nervous or agitated.
Stimulation: When you feel distracted and/or bored, you bite your nails to make you feel more alert and wake. In addition, you tend to bite your nails when you are sitting idle, waiting for something to happen or lost in thought.
Perfectionist Behavior: You tend to spend a significant amount of time examining your fingers and nails, paying attention to the smallest imperfections or irregularities on your body and attempting to correct those self-perceived defects in order to achieve a more desirable appearance. In reality nail biting behaviors tend to make your nails look raggedy and/or deformed.
Treatments
Compulsive nail biting can disrupt your life and interfere with your job, relationships and happiness. If you do not recognize it as a real disorder, you will not seek treatment for the condition. If you have a compulsive nail biting disorder, you probably feel out of control and depressed, but do not know how or where to seek help. This condition responds fairly well to behavioral therapy and medication.
The following treatments are available for compulsive nail biting disorder:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Habit Reversal Training
- Stimulus Control Therapy
Medications: Medications that are used to treat compulsive nail biting disorder include anti-depressants (SSRIs).
Natural Remedies: Vitamins such as vitamin-B complex and inositol has been used to treat people with impulse control disorders. These vitamins appear to reduce your urge to bite your nails. This natural remedy is broken down by metabolism into 2 neurotransmitters that enhance the activity of serotonin within your brain.
References:
Grant, J. E. (2008). Impulse control disorders: A clinician’s guide to understanding and treating behavioral addictions. Retrieved from http://books.google.com.br/books?id=8ZCoiE7JjD0C&printsec=frontcover&hl=pt-BR&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
Leung, A. K. & Robson, W. L. (1990). Nailbiting. Clinical Pediatric. Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2276242
Fred, P. (2000). Obsessive-compulsive disorders: A complete guide to getting well and staying well. Retrieved from http://books.google.hn/books?id=YI92FPlciJEC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
