Nail biting is often related to stress.
There are different products and therapies have been developed in effort to prevent nail biting. The type of remedy that will be most effective depends on that individual who is seeking the treatment. While products that prevents nail biting work well for some people, addressing the cause of nail biting is a more successful method for many others.
Medication
When doctors treat nail biting with medicine, they usually treat the cause of the problem and prescribe anti-depressants. Medication is only given in uncommon, extreme cases of compulsive nail biting, or onychophagia, when it is associated with other conditions such as anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder. The most common forms of this medication include paroxetine, clomipramine, steraline, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, nefazodone, citalopram, venlafaxine and escitalopram. Occasionally, small doses of anti-psychotic drugs such as quetiapine, ziprasidone and aripipazole are prescribed. Medication is not given as a sole solution, but as a tool to help with therapy.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is a combination of hypnosis and therapeutic intervention in which a therapist leads a patient towards a positive change in their lives while the patient is in a deeply relaxed state of heightened suggestibility. It can be used to stop a nail biting by treating the cause as it can help a person to deal with their anxiety and stress in a more positive way. As nail biting is often a subconscious activity, it can be helpful to treat it from a subconscious point of view. Hypnotherapy treatments can either be carried out in a personalized session or at home through a course that has been recorded on CD or MP3.
Behavioral Therapy
Behavioral therapy focuses on changing behavior. In nail biting cases, this treatment focuses on stopping the behavior by helping patients to unlearn their nail biting habit and replace it with something that is more constructive. One form of behavioral therapy is known as Habit Reversal Training. This is a four-step process which teaches a person relax, breathe and feel centered and perform muscle response exercises. This type of treatment may be combined with other treatments, particularly other cognitive behavior therapies.
Topical Treatments
The use of topical treatments involves putting substances on the nail to prevent a person from biting them. Forms of topical treatments that are available from drugstores range from nail polish that make it impossible to bite nails to natural creams that leave a bitter taste in the mouth while providing nails with essential nutrients, such as Control-It!. Like behavioral therapy, this treatment is also a form of unlearning a habit.
Will Power
Using sheer will power is the cheapest way to stop nail biting but can also be the most difficult. However, this process is also very rewarding as it involves an individual learning to master their own mind and getting to know themself.
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