Boards
Onychophagia or nail biting is another compulsive ailment where a person bites his or her fingernails, toenails or cuticles due to nervousness, boredom, stress or anxiety. Biting can cause viral and microbial infections, as well as the spread of fungus. Like dermatillomania and trichotillomania, obsessive nail biting can be the sign of emotional or physical problems. Onychophagia is usually treated with anti-depressants and behavior therapy.
PREVIOUS PAGE 
I have a question about one that isn’t mentioned, known most commonly as “cutting.” The cutter does damage to his/her skin, but not just with other parts of the body, such as glass, razorblades, or even metal nail files. I was a cutter when I was in high school, and it was hard to get through it, and I still have the urge to tear the crap out of myself sometimes. I went to like 6 counseling sessions, which were basically just conversations, trying to get to the root of the problem. I still don’t know what it is, but it takes all the strength I have to fight the urge to damage myself again. I quit solely on willpower, to behavior reversal or anything like that. In my opinion, this is just like an alcoholic or smoker, in that it’s something that is darn near impossible to quit, but there are many that have done so. Why do people judge cutters, instead of reaching out to them and trying to help?