By now it is common knowledge that anxiety is a disorder that has many forms –– at least, I would hope this fact is common knowledge. Another thing is that a person with anxiety, like myself, can have multiple forms of anxiety. The form I am most familiar with is nail-biting.

Now, I’m not saying that everyone who bites their nails has anxiety. Most of the time, its just a bad habit that one grows out of, but for me it was a different case.

I’ve been biting my nails since I was a child. I remember my parents scolding me for such a “dirty” habit. On more than one occasion I was forced to dip my fingers in chili juice and other bitter-tasting substances that were used as detergents to stop me from biting my “finger stubs” as my family took to calling my dainty digits as a term of endearment. All efforts were futile. Even with the spicy chili juice on my fingers, or the painfully bitter Bitrex substance, eventually, I became accustomed to the taste and would bite through anything just to feed my urge. On one specific occasion, my doctor had told me that one could die from infection from excessive biting of the nails. Still being young and impressionable at the age of 9, I took to wrapping each of my individual fingers in band-aids to prevent myself from biting them. Of course, I was subjected to ridicule by my classmates and concern from my teachers. I would lie and say I had acquired paper cuts on all of my fingers. Regardless of the disbelieving stares, I stuck to my methods and eventually I stopped biting my nails.

I didn’t bite my nails for several years. Instead, I picked at my cuticles, peeled back layers of skin from my nail bed, endured countless hang nails, felt the burning pain of ripping my cuticle skin too far back. It was my a friend from high school that informed me that my condition was actually a form of anxiety.

Naturally, I did some research and found out that my nail-biting is actually a common stress-relieving also known as Onychophagia. Also, according to WebMD, nail-biting is the most common of the typical "nervous habits," which include thumb-sucking, nose-picking, hair-twisting or -pulling, tooth-grinding, and picking at the skin; it also includes biting the cuticles and nail around the skin as well as the nail itself. Thus, it is common for one to bite their nails without realizing they are doing it. One might be involved in another activity, such as reading, watching television, or talking on the phone, and bite their nails without thinking about it. I am familiar with all of these scenarios.

While it may seem like a tick that is harmless, nail-biting can cause your fingertips to be red and sore and your cuticles to bleed. My research over the years has also taught me that nail-biting increases your risk for infections around your nail beds and in your mouth (Remember, my story about the bandaids around my fingers when I was 9? I was on to something back then). Surprisingly enough, nail-biting is also considered a form of OCD, in which case, medicine would be needed for treatment. Now, I’ve had my fair share of OCD habits –– my number one being counting, but that's a different story for another time.

For a long time, even now, I’ve felt embarrassed over the appearance of my nails. I endured bullying from classmates who threw slurs like “monkey hands” at me on a daily basis. Now, I try to hide my hands in public in fear of what strangers might think of my cracked, dry, peeling fingernails. If you’re familiar with everything I’ve outlined so far, you’ll be happy to take a look at a list of things I do to help me fight my urge to bite my nails

• Get a manicure.I find that keeping a pleasing appearance to my hands, helps me resist the urge to bite my nails. Usually, I get acrylic tips that are hard to bite through to protect my nails while they grow. Of course, I first had to get over my embarrassment of letting another person not only see my nails but do them as well.

• Use a nail-biting deterrent. I prefer the Mavala products. They have a tonic called Mavala Don’t which is so bitter tasting, it actually makes me not want to bite my nails ( as long as I remember to reapply it every three days). They also have a nail oil, Mavaderma, that helps heal cracked cuticles and also helps your nails grow. I use them as a pair for the best results. You can buy then off Amazon and they are affordable.

• Keep your hands busy. Take up an activity that requires the use of your hands. I got into knitting at one point, but after knitting and unraveling one scarf three times, I gave up. Now, I’m into sketching and story writing. This way my focus is on something intricate and I forget about my nails.

• Wear gloves, adhesive bandages, or colored stickers whenever possible to remind you not to bite your nails. Although this method is highly effective, I don’t recommend it. When I was 9 and wearing bandaids on all of my fingers, I found it hard to do normal activities like write. When your fingers are confined, their movements are restricted.

• Snap a rubber band on the inside of your wrist when you start to bite your nails so you have a negative physical response to nail-biting. I do this a lot. You don’t have to use a rubber band. Even a hair tie will work. If you do decide to use a rubber band, remember, don’t snap yourself too hard. You don’t need welts on your precious skin.

Hopefully, my outline has helped you. Pass it on to others you know who are nail-biters. And as always, don’t neglect your mental health. If you or someone you know is suffering with anxiety and/or any other disorder, get help. No one should deal with this alone.