Published on 12, July, 2020
i have been biting my nails since i was a child (i’m now 20) and am fairly sure i do it as a form of stimming/self soothing, it’s bad to the point that if i go to bite my nails and there isn’t anything to get a hold of i get frustrated, upset, and distressed.
i’ve found that using a tangle to keep my hands busy works most of the time as i don’t really like to have stubby bitten down nails but recently even redirecting myself doesn’t stop me … i’m very aware that it’s gross and not exactly pleasant but i’m not sure what else i can do to try and stop myself.
wondering whether it’s less of a hands thing and more of a chewing/biting stim? not sure if that makes any sense.
is anyone else a chronic nail biter due to autism … is this a common thing?
Hi Elliot
I'm 62 and I've been a nail biter all my life. I was having a good chew just before I saw your post. If my nails get too bitten down to chew on then I pick at the skin. I'm very newly diagnosed with autism and hadn't even realised it was a form of stimming until just recently. Even using those nasty tasting liquids that you paint onto your nails haven't deterred me. It's an interesting question you pose. A hands thing or a chewing biting thing? I don't know the answer. Nail biting is quite a common stim on my family group though.