To be so angry and worried

[Orangesquash5]

I’m so angry, disappointed and upset with myself.

I’ve been working so hard over the last year to grow my nails. Im a compulsive nailbiter and have been since I’ve had teeth. I had generally been doing ok over the last year and they had grown a bit and I was starting to get less embarrassed of my hands.

but I’ve had a stressful few months and now I have no nails left. I just realised how awful they are tonight and could weep. I’m worried I’ve done serious or permanent damage - I haven’t just bitten them a little, there’s no nailbed left at all. Literally nothing. I either have quite a high pain tolerance or years of nail biting have made my fingers feel numb because they hurt but it’s not excruciating but it looks so awful and I’m so scared I’ve done damage and they’ll never grow properly because I’ve bitten them too far now.

I know nobody here can specifically help because the damage is done now but I’m just so upset about it all x

I'm sure it'll be fine. Are you having counselling, or dealing with the stress in some other way?

I used to be a bad nailbiter, right up into my 29s. My mum liked to embarrass me in front of her friends, which didn't help. I think I decided one day I wasn't going to continue, and got gel nails done. They're not great for the nails but it got me out of the habit.

This is what my nails look like now. No nail bed at all. The whitish bit at the top of my finger is skin from where my nail used to be. I’m so angry at upset at myself and I’m terrified I’ve bitten too far and I’ll never have normal nails now

I feel for you. These kinds of habits are really hard to break. I have a thing where I bite/pick my lips until they bleed. It's been a childhood habit I simply didn't grow out of fully. I tried this thing called Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping) and it really helps. It sounds silly but it distracts you, just do the routine whenever you feel the biting urge. You tap a few places in your face/ neck several times in order and repeat for a minute or so. You can find exactly the things to do online easily. That and chew gum. These both helped and now I rarely do my biting tick. Please don't get stressed about it though. Could you wear some soft light gloves at night if you do it without realising?

Ahh don't be angry, you can't help it ... agree with pp about getting nails done but maybe the builder gels are kinder I think. Give that and the tapping a try?🤔
Good luck🙂

Don't feel annoyed at yourself, it's really easy to do.
I broke my nail biting habit by getting acrylics done.
Maybe try and grow yours until there's enough to get false nails then do that for a year!
It's an expensive but priceless fix as it really does work.
Good luck

My nails looked like that from ages 2-39, bit them till they bled and got infections frequently around the cuticle.

Last year I stopped, just decided I was going to do it and I did. This is after 6759 previous failed attempts including every trick like acrylics (you can bite them too), the varnish that tastes revolting (you get used to the taste) and anything else my mum could think of when I was a kid.

Haven't bitten them in months, cuticles have healed, I now have decent strong nails. It took a while, and they were ropy at first, weak and I had to keep them trimmed short and filed as the surface was uneven where I'd taken the top layers off.

You haven't done permanent damage and when you're ready to stop you'll be able to grow them out.

They will grow back and you will have nice nails.

In the meantime, keep an eye out for any infections, especially redness making its way up your hand, and start taking cod liver oil. It tastes disgusting but there is nothing quite like it for healthy nails.

You poor thing. There is a lot of pain behind a compulsion like that. I really hope you have real life support. Thinking of you.

No you'll grow back fine. I've done worse many times but I feel for you, it's so so painful and exhausting to break the habit. Put some plasters around them and start again

They will grow back. I used to bite mine so much as a child. But I have nails now.

Are you receiving any help or support for your anxiety?

Get fake nails only thing that will stop this