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A man raises his right hand to his face while biting his nails.PHOTO : iStock

One might think that nail biting is a simple and almost futile phenomenon. “Make no mistake, this body-focused repetitive behavior disorder is very complex,” explains psychologist Édith St-Jean-Trudel. Moreover, the ways to get rid of it require sustained awareness.

Onychophagia, the scholarly term for nail biting, is DSM-IVthe reference of psychologists, which therefore makes it a mental disorder.

Unpleasant emotions

In the most serious cases, this disorder linked to boredom and frustration can lead to loss of control in addition to physical and psychological disorders.

“We bite our nails to avoid, to modulate or to soothe these emotions that we consider to be unpleasant”, adds the psychologist.

Among the ways to get rid of it, Édith St-Jean-Trudel talks regarding keeping a detailed record of the times when we bring our fingers to our mouths, which makes it possible to identify high-risk situations.