NLP Can Easily Break The Nail Biting Habit

Skin picking, hair pulling and nail biting are related. These behaviors are labeled as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders. Nail biters often keep their hands hidden behind their backs. Nail biters often feel social embarrassment and experience out-of-control feelings at times. They often wonder why they are not able to stop and they often question whether or not they are crazy.

Biting generally happens when people are in one of two modes. Some biters do it in an automatic way, as if they are in a trance and not thinking about what they are doing. Usually they are immersed in some other activity at the same time such as talking or working at the computer, etc. For others, the deliberate picking or biting is their main activity at the time, and they will frequently interrupt their other activities to engage in it.

There is a strong commonality in the purposes behind these three problems (nail biting, skin picking and hair pulling). At a very basic level, they satisfy an urge. Many report an uncontrollable urge to do them. Pulling, picking or biting also seems to deliver a pleasurable or relaxed sensation.

When sufferers feel stressed, doing these things has a kind of soothing effect on them and reduces levels of stimulation. On the other hand, when they are bored or inactive, they seem to provide a needed level of stimulation to the nervous system. This probably accounts for why so many people who have these habits find it so hard to break these habits. It simply "feels good" at the time no matter what.

Even if you have more than one of these problems, do not give up. These symptoms can be overcome if you have enough motivation. More important is learning to "de-stigmatize" yourself. You are not crazy, helpless, morally weak or totally out of control, even though you may feel like you are at times. Once you get down to realizing that you are just a person who simply happens to have a problem, you can start to make some serious progress.

Skin picking and nail biting are chronic problems, so there currently isn't a "cure" but you can find a recovery if you are willing to work at it. Hypnotherapy for nail biting consists of three parts.

Hypnotherapy For Nail Biting

To start with, nail biting is a stress related habit. So the first part of the therapy is to teach the sufferer how to be more relaxed at all times. To that end, I believe that traditional hypnosis, Ericksonian hypnosis, and Neuro-Linguistic Programming techniques are very often effective. That's because the very essence of hypnosis is relaxation. The sufferer can learn to apply several different methods to enhance both the relaxed state, as well as his/her overall feeling of relaxation and well-being.

The second part of the therapy teaches the biter to become aware of this unconscious habit. Suggestions are generally given to the subconscious mind to make the conscious mind aware that you are about to bite your nails. Then you get to consciously decide whether or not you are actually going to bite them.

There are several other powerful hypnosis and NLP methods. As an example, we can help the client to set up an "Anchor" or trigger so that he/she can momentarily mentally step outside of him/herself. This is an excellent method that will effectively relieve the compulsion to bite.

The third part of the hypnotic therapy is to eliminate the compulsion to nail bite. There are Neuro-Linguistic Programming methods that actually program the client with a compulsion to reject biting his/her nails.

With the nail biting habit, being realistic is very important. First, you have probably practiced the unwanted habit hundreds or even thousands of times. You need to accept that the behavior of biting your nails will not simply be overcome in a few weeks.

Second, you are fighting the fact that biting your nails feels good, and it offers a lot of short-term satisfaction and either stimulation or soothing feelings. It can take time to overcome, but I believe it is well worth it. Experience has shown a number of methods to be quite effective!

Alan B. Densky, CH is a certified hypnotist specializing in stress related symptoms. He offers Hypnosis CDs which abolish the nail biting compulsion. Contact him at the Neuro-VISION Hypnosis website. Visit his FREE hypnosis article repository , or download his MP3s.