Contrary to
popular belief, nailbiting does not
always
signify nervousness.
For some people, it is merely a bad habit.
It is something they do absentmindedly while
reading a book, watching
tv, driving to work.
Such is it with me. I cannot pinpoint specific
times when I will be more likely to gnaw at my
fingertips, but frequently I find myself biting
while totally preoccupied with an absorbing task.
This is not a pretty habit. It leaves my
nails extremely short, ragged, and tired-looking.
I must look ridiculous scrunching my mouth around
my swollen cuticles, trying to trim them without
getting lipstick all over my fingers.
My
whole take on this is: If vanity hasn't stopped
me from biting yet, what else is there? I'm 21,
and if the sight of my red and ragged fingertips
doesn't disgust me enough to stop, I doubt
anything will.
I didn't bite my nails for
six weeks, through
my recent minor life crisis and vacation. They needed to be cut desparately, and this sounds crazy, but
I don't trust myself with a nail clipper. So
I 'trimmed' them with my teeth. They look pretty
presentable, right now. Neat, short, a little
bit of white showing. We'll see how long this
lasts.
It lasted two weeks. Now I'm into the nail biting /
cheek biting cycle...
sigh.