Nail biting is a typical behavior of anxious people, but when you end up hurting is a sign that the problem is much greater
"I like nails since childhood and have never stopped. Now I have to hide my hands look horrible. Even, I have had several infections in the mouth and finger injury," says Claudia Lizama, a woman of 36 years.
His experience is not isolated. The nail biting while watching television, waiting for the micro or before an important meeting is an eager act, neglect, but it can also become a compulsive behavior troubling, she says psychologist Elizabeth Puga Young, an academic at the Central University.
"The mouth is an area where we have many nerve endings and therefore put their hands in the mouth produces a certain satisfaction that calm in situations of anxiety," he explains.
However, one can spend years biting his nails without something disturbing and not grow from a inappropriate behavior, which replaces good management of anxiety and stress.
Of course, we must hide the embarrassment of the hands, but they look the same, it is impossible to hide. But those people are "saved" because they hide the fact makes them aware that chew nails or scrumptious, is not correct.
The problem is when you start getting hurt, bleed or peel off nails and do not stop, despite the pain.
"In these cases we are talking about psychopathological cases and for damage to the physiological level, because even though it hurts still eat nails" he says.
Is to have all the time hands in the mouth can also be a symptom of obsessive compulsive disorder that deserves to be treated professionally and immediately.
This, especially when the act of "nail biting" is not caused by this situation but the person is all the time anticipating future catastrophic suffering and discomfort felt is widespread.
Why does it happen?
According to the opinion of the specialist, the behavior may be rooted in childhood which has occurred emotional problems unattended, losses, separations or dysfunctional family situations that generated a lot of anxiety.
But it can also be a product behavior or shyness undeveloped social skills, for example, when fear or panic social exposure are caused by bullying or bullying.
Children and adults
Isabel Puga Young says that in children there is a high percentage, 40% acquired the bad habit, but as they grow the trend decreases.
"In children eat them when they discover that nail biting helps them feel better, get some feel that the quiet, is as a way of self-satisfaction and self-soothing, and they like," says.
What to do about it?
The main thing, says psychologist does not challenge them and behavioral treatments for reinforcement and punishment are not recommended.
"You have to be very careful and help them relax and calm down, but will be more complicated when the mother is the one that produces anxiety and makes them more nervous," he recommended.
For adults, it might cost a little more and get the behavior should use cognitive therapy, anxiety management and experience with our strategies to relieve stress.
"It's like quitting smoking or losing weight, it is not enough just to have willpower because we are facing a pattern of installed behavior and resolved them the subject of anxiety, changes are not easy and therefore should associations to replace? nail biting 'ceases to be automatic, "explains Isabel Puga Young.
Damage to health
According to an article in Time magazine gnawing nails is highly dangerous. They say they harbor all kinds of bacteria, including salmonella and E.coli and be in contact with the mouth, the bacteria enter the intestine where they can cause gastrointestinal infections that lead to diarrhea and abdominal pain.
"You can also get infections like paronychia that cause swelling, redness and pus accumulation around and under the nail, which must be surgically drained and treated with antibiotics or antifungal," said Dr. Richard Scher, an expert in disorders nails at Weill Cornell Medical College and a member of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Besides, it is possible to appoint the virus of warts and then can spread to the mouth and lips. And the strangest thing is that "nail biting" could cause dental malocclusion.
Therefore, too many reasons to learn to handle this bad habit, bad seen and very little understood. So if you bite your nails or know someone who does, you know what to say, the issue is not only aesthetic concern but an anxiety problem to address.
0 comments:
Post a Comment