Biting your fingers

Mr. Psychologist · May 03, 2017, 08:22:05 PM

Anyone else on here have trouble with this?

It's not so bad lately, but I still can't quite stop and it's really starting to drive me up the wall.
I've been biting at them since I was like, 10 or something idk and when I was in high school they were a right mess. Like full on bloody mess, it was like eczema tier. They've healed up fairly well, although I'm pretty sure I fucked the nerves in my fingertips from doing it but at least it's kinda just confined to my thumbs now.

Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated for fairly obvious reasons.
or go ew gross and close the thread, it's all good

challengerX · May 03, 2017, 08:26:07 PM

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Hahahaha very funny Zonda · May 03, 2017, 08:29:57 PM

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May 03, 2017, 08:36:50 PM

I chewed quite a bit of gum in the past until I acquired TMJ.

Mr. Psychologist · May 03, 2017, 08:44:57 PM

Quote from: challengerX on May 03, 2017, 08:26:07 PM

You bite your entire finger or the tip?

Sides mostly, I used to bite the knuckles/joints too but that died off a while back.
Kinda like beside/below the nail is the best way to describe it.

Mr. Psychologist · May 03, 2017, 08:45:44 PM

Quote from: Vien on May 03, 2017, 08:36:50 PM

I chewed quite a bit of gum in the past until I acquired TMJ.

Yeah I'm trying to avoid doing exactly that, I already go through way too much of it.

Mr. Psychologist · May 03, 2017, 08:47:05 PM

Quote from: ねこ on May 03, 2017, 08:29:57 PM

I like to bite the inside of my mouth tbh

Like the cheek or something?

Hahahaha very funny Zonda · May 03, 2017, 08:48:30 PM

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Super Irish · May 03, 2017, 08:58:19 PM

Oh man, I'm pretty sure I've hindered the development of my thumbs because of it.

Best thing I found to do is buy some industrial strength "workers plasters" that are extremely difficult to remove once put on. Fingers get time to heal, you haven't got a niggling thought to bite it because you can't see or feel "imperfections" (at least that's how I imagine it), and the plasters arouse less suspicion and questions than a red-raw/bleeding finger hastily wrapped in tissue, so there's no embarrassment associated with it which can cause a shitty repetitive cycle.

I haven't kicked the habit (and I'm starting to think it's a symptom of a broader condition than a habit), but it does at least give a chance for my fingers to heal, and usually I can stave it off for a few days. Another good idea is too find something to do, and remove yourself from a stressful/anxious environment. I notice if I'm outside reading or gardening or doing something, I won't focus my attention towards my fingers as much as when I'm revising, writing an essay, or thinking about work.

DAS B00T x2 · May 03, 2017, 10:24:04 PM

Soak your hands in Jet fuel often. You want to chew on them anymore.

Hahahaha very funny Zonda · May 03, 2017, 10:25:50 PM

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Aether · May 03, 2017, 10:44:25 PM

I chew the shit out of my nails tbh.

Ásgeirr · May 03, 2017, 11:20:09 PM

I chew my lips

it never ends

R o c k e t · May 03, 2017, 11:33:54 PM

eventually we'll eat ourselves

Korra · May 03, 2017, 11:36:46 PM

Rust buckets getting rusty? Better change those appendages.

TB · May 04, 2017, 01:43:50 AM

Not my finger but when I was younger I had a cavity filled and while my mouth was frozen I bit right through my lip. Awful stuff.

challengerX · May 04, 2017, 05:30:57 AM

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Mr. Psychologist · May 04, 2017, 05:41:40 AM

Quote from: challengerX on May 04, 2017, 05:30:57 AM

Quote from: Mr. Psychologist on May 03, 2017, 08:44:57 PM
Quote from: challengerX on May 03, 2017, 08:26:07 PM
You bite your entire finger or the tip?
Sides mostly, I used to bite the knuckles/joints too but that died off a while back.
Kinda like beside/below the nail is the best way to describe it.
Just wrap tape around the tips of your fingers. You won't be able to bite flesh which is what's relieving the tension and anxiety.

I have tried that, I end up just biting through to it though. At least with medical tape anyway, what irish said about industrial plasters might work though.

Big Boss · May 04, 2017, 05:48:35 AM

Know the feel man. I often end up biting into the clear bit of skin at the bottom of the nail and it hurts. My lip is usually bloody and I often get lumps in my cheek from biting it. Toes too....

Spoiler

challengerX · May 04, 2017, 06:20:12 AM

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FatherlyNick - fuck putin · May 04, 2017, 07:43:21 AM

I used to chew on the inside of my mouth and also bite my nails and the finger tips. The chewy bits of skin was fkn 👌👌
I stopped after I turned 19.

Doctor Doom · May 04, 2017, 08:45:43 AM

Quote from: Mr. Psychologist on May 03, 2017, 08:44:57 PM

Quote from: challengerX on May 03, 2017, 08:26:07 PM
You bite your entire finger or the tip?
Sides mostly, I used to bite the knuckles/joints too but that died off a while back.
Kinda like beside/below the nail is the best way to describe it.

Same here. I also bit the hairs off my fingers because they start to itch for some reason.

rC · May 04, 2017, 09:36:38 AM

I twirl my hair as a nervous tick and recently it's been constant. I stop doing it whenever I notice I am, but it's involuntary at this point. It's so fucking annoying.

rC · May 04, 2017, 09:39:47 AM

Oh and my cousin used to suck her thumb so her parents started dipping her thumb in something that tastes nasty and that stopped it pretty quick. Maybe you could do something similar?

gats · May 04, 2017, 09:45:33 AM

I used to have a habit of playing with my hair and pulling it out, solved it by never letting my hair grow longer than an inch

Mr. Psychologist · May 04, 2017, 10:03:02 AM

Quote from: rC on May 04, 2017, 09:39:47 AM

Oh and my cousin used to suck her thumb so her parents started dipping her thumb in something that tastes nasty and that stopped it pretty quick. Maybe you could do something similar?

My mum did try that many years ago, there was some fake-skin spray sort of thing (for burn treatment) that she put on my fingers. I think that's probably when I started biting my knuckles instead so that was a bit of a dead end unfortunately.

DAS B00T x2 · May 04, 2017, 10:13:57 AM

You people are fucking weird.

Super Irish · May 04, 2017, 10:16:07 AM

Quote from: Mr. Psychologist on May 04, 2017, 10:03:02 AM

Quote from: rC on May 04, 2017, 09:39:47 AM
Oh and my cousin used to suck her thumb so her parents started dipping her thumb in something that tastes nasty and that stopped it pretty quick. Maybe you could do something similar?
My mum did try that many years ago, there was some fake-skin spray sort of thing (for burn treatment) that she put on my fingers. I think that's probably when I started biting my knuckles instead so that was a bit of a dead end unfortunately.

It's infuriating how the mind can find another thing to fuck with if you remove the primary source of distraction.

Fuck, it takes 2 weeks to break a habit, may as well go full straight-jacket and endure it for that long.

rC · May 04, 2017, 10:37:20 AM

Quote from: Môr-ladron on May 04, 2017, 10:16:07 AM

Quote from: Mr. Psychologist on May 04, 2017, 10:03:02 AM
Quote from: rC on May 04, 2017, 09:39:47 AM
Oh and my cousin used to suck her thumb so her parents started dipping her thumb in something that tastes nasty and that stopped it pretty quick. Maybe you could do something similar?
My mum did try that many years ago, there was some fake-skin spray sort of thing (for burn treatment) that she put on my fingers. I think that's probably when I started biting my knuckles instead so that was a bit of a dead end unfortunately.

It's infuriating how the mind can find another thing to fuck with if you remove the primary source of distraction.

Fuck, it takes 2 weeks to break a habit, may as well go full straight-jacket and endure it for that long.

but wouldnt that break every habit

Super Irish · May 04, 2017, 01:17:06 PM

Quote from: rC on May 04, 2017, 10:37:20 AM

Quote from: Môr-ladron on May 04, 2017, 10:16:07 AM
Quote from: Mr. Psychologist on May 04, 2017, 10:03:02 AM
Quote from: rC on May 04, 2017, 09:39:47 AM
Oh and my cousin used to suck her thumb so her parents started dipping her thumb in something that tastes nasty and that stopped it pretty quick. Maybe you could do something similar?
My mum did try that many years ago, there was some fake-skin spray sort of thing (for burn treatment) that she put on my fingers. I think that's probably when I started biting my knuckles instead so that was a bit of a dead end unfortunately.

It's infuriating how the mind can find another thing to fuck with if you remove the primary source of distraction.

Fuck, it takes 2 weeks to break a habit, may as well go full straight-jacket and endure it for that long.
but wouldnt that break every habit

Probably start having a go at the jacket by the end of the first day.