Nail biting classed as a mental disorder

[JGirl]

symptom

noun

1.any phenomenon or circumstance accompanying something and serving as evidence of it.

2.a sign or indication of something.

3.Pathology . a phenomenon that arises from and accompanies a particular disease or disorder and serves as an indication of it.

How do you know if you have the flu? Do you go to the doctor, get your blood drawn, have them do tests, then come back to you with a 'yup, there's flu viruses all up in you', or do you look at your symptoms (runny nose, sore throat, fatigue, etc and so forth), conclude you might, then go see the doctor? Symptoms are indicators of the problems, symptoms are caused by the disorder or disease or what have you, they are part of the disorder or disease. Like my analogy; all squares are rectangle but not all rectangles are squares. Sometimes a runny node is allergies, sometimes it's the flu, sometimes biting your nails is just you being nervous, other times it's because you have actually do have an underlying mental disorder like, such as the way they have classified it in this one instance, OCD.

those definitions basically say what i said. i have bolded the parts i mean

i don't argue that it is sometimes an indicator of mental illness, i thought i made that clear.

i am arguing that it is not a disorder unto itself

[Hasina]

those definitions basically say what i said. i have bolded the parts i mean

i don't argue that it is sometimes an indicator of mental illness, i thought i made that clear.

i am arguing that it is not a disorder unto itself

I think the article itself is actually what's mislabeled.. It's saying that nail biting is being made a mental disorder, it's not, it's being classified as a sign of OCD. So yeah, you're right on that point.

[MissMelsWell]

Yes,but if its classified as a disorder,they can prescribe them psych meds ! Isn't that wonderful !

Another way to make money off another sickness that doesn't even exist !

I wonder if I could get my doc to prescribe me a manicure! And have my health insurance cover it!

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

All it took for me to quit biting my nails was an attractive girl saying "that's disgusting", I stopped pronto after that

[Simbi Laveau]

This can also be a symptom of abuse. I knew a girl who had been abused as a child,and she used to pull all her eyelashes out.

Nail biting is *not* a disorder ,nor has it been for well over a century . This is nonsense ,so they can actually prescribe nail biters meds .

Ridiculous ,absolutely ridiculous .....Also,its one article ,I dare say not all in the medical field are so lame,that they will concur.

Edited November 4, 2012 by Simbi Laveau

[spud the mackem]

At work I noticed the young girl at the next desk bit her nails,when she was stressed with some work problem,until one day I said "Are you a Cannibal". She said "Of course not dont be silly", so I said "Why are you eating yourself ", She then realised what she was doing, and said "Thats disgusting", and she never bit her nails again ,while I was there.And within a few weeks she came around and thanked me,and showed me her lovely nails.

[JGirl]

At work I noticed the young girl at the next desk bit her nails,when she was stressed with some work problem,until one day I said "Are you a Cannibal". She said "Of course not dont be silly", so I said "Why are you eating yourself ", She then realised what she was doing, and said "Thats disgusting", and she never bit her nails again ,while I was there.And within a few weeks she came around and thanked me,and showed me her lovely nails.

my granddaughter was a nail biter for most of her childhood. about five years ago she contracted pinworm, and was told that it was from not washing her hands properly (mostly after using the bathroom) and then biting her nails.

she was so disgusted she stopped nail biting right then and there and i'm willing to bet makes more of an effort to wash her hands lol

[spud the mackem]

I am a Medical Expert, and I say "If you don't breathe,you die", I guess no one can prove me wrong, so where's me Nobbly Prize ?

[Jinxdom]

At work I noticed the young girl at the next desk bit her nails,when she was stressed with some work problem,until one day I said "Are you a Cannibal". She said "Of course not dont be silly", so I said "Why are you eating yourself ", She then realised what she was doing, and said "Thats disgusting", and she never bit her nails again ,while I was there.And within a few weeks she came around and thanked me,and showed me her lovely nails.

I love saying that to people and most of the time it work like that.

[spud the mackem]

Maybe the Medical Experts have a mental disorder for thinking these things up. ?

[with bells on]

i know this performance artist/writer, who sat in front of myself and about 12 friends and started biting her toe nails.. its was beyond feral.. especialy since we had been out partying and dancing all night and it was the next day (and she hadn't showered)..

nail biting is a bit OCD, when you think about it.. but who isn't a bit OCD about something?? these shrinks just want to diagnose everyone and everything.. its a bit tragic..

[Jinxdom]

Maybe the Medical Experts have a mental disorder for thinking these things up. ?

Not sure but I think they have a pill for it.

Anything can prove insanity if you do it to much.

Edited November 5, 2012 by Jinxdom

[spud the mackem]

Not sure but I think they have a pill for it.

Anything can prove insanity if you do it to much.

Ok lets write a thesis on why you should or should not suck your thumb, ha ha

[Jinxdom]

Ok lets write a thesis on why you should or should not suck your thumb, ha ha

Don't need to just look up Pyschosexual development. It's already there. It's right next to nail biting rofl.

[Junior Chubb]

I bite my nails, but only because I don't have nail clippers...

[spud the mackem]

Analysing under nails scrapes reveals all kinds of horrors which are picked during daily handling of almost anything,so by biting your nails you are transferring this rubbish to your mouth.Then you wonder how your picked up a nasty virus.A car steering wheel holds a few million bacteria.

[Sundew]

I know one nail-biter that chewed his finger nails almost halfway to the nail bed. Makes me queazy just looking at his fingers, because it looks as if it should be painful, brrrrr.......

[Sundew]

I bite my nails, but only because I don't have nail clippers...

That's different, I know people that trim their nails that way, and they don't have unusually short nails. I would think it difficult to get them either smooth or even this way, but hey, you have to do what you have to do! But a few others I know have virtually no nails from chewing them off.

[little_dreamer]

I don't know what to say about this since I am a nail biter. I do most of my damage with nail clippers, not biting though. It's probably stress related. I used to have long fingernails that I would paint with nail polish. Now I just paint the short nails anyway if I want to be festive.

No one has really said anything to me about my nails though. I would tell them - "Get rid of my stress and I'll grow my nails back." No stress relief = no nails.

At least I don't have room under my nails for dirt! And I never clip my nails in public - I hate the sound!

Edited November 6, 2012 by little_dreamer

[Ashotep]

I use to bit my nails but I don't anymore. I just have to file them excessively to keep them from getting too long. Is that a disorder too.

[little_dreamer]

i know this performance artist/writer, who sat in front of myself and about 12 friends and started biting her toe nails.. its was beyond feral.. especialy since we had been out partying and dancing all night and it was the next day (and she hadn't showered)..

That must have been an awkward moment. (shudders)

[The Id3al Experience]

Analysing under nails scrapes reveals all kinds of horrors which are picked during daily handling of almost anything,so by biting your nails you are transferring this rubbish to your mouth.Then you wonder how your picked up a nasty virus.A car steering wheel holds a few million bacteria.

Been biting my nails for as long as I had teeth, and I very rarely get sick (touch Wood) - I have seen all the nastys under the nail and it put me off for 5 mintues.

My mother bite her nails from age 5 to 18

my brother and I still to this day bite our nails?

Iv tried everything to stop, from the nail polish that tastes yuk, i use to eat that too, lemons - well I love lemon didnt work - never tired hot sauce however, after a couple of toliets trips this woulod wash off - sooooo dont know how that works.

have no idea why I do it, maybe its something to do with my mother since her and my brother do/did it

Edited November 6, 2012 by The Id3al Experience

[little_dreamer]

Think of the alternative to nail biting. Is this preferable?

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1024&bih=483&q=fingernails+long&oq=fingernails+long

[highdesert50]

One of the most common ways to transmit disease is hands to mouth so if you are going to be compulsive about nail biting at least be compulsive about hand washing.

[Babe Ruth]

It's the outward sign of the disorder. It's like the flu, many people show the normal signs, runny nose, sore throat, fatigue, etc. Those aren't the actual virus, the virus is the flu, not the symptoms, but we treat the symptoms to treat the virus. I do agree with you, not all nail biting is OCD, but some nail biting could be OCD. It's like the old phrase, not all rectangles are squares but all squares are rectangles.

People themselves need to take stock in what's actually wrong with them, if they want to run to the doctors every time they think something is wrong with them, let them. The experts are there to provide this to you, it's up to you if you think you're crazy enough to need pills. But again, this doesn't make experts holier then though people who's words should be taken as the solid truth, they can be wrong. Take every advice they give you with a grain of salt. Just because it's not true for you doesn't mean it's not true for someone. The worst problem of this pill popper generation are the parents who think their children are hyperactive because, gosh golly, they're acting like children.

You'll always have people in the middle, the people who may need pills to control certain things and they get on normally with life, then you have the people who don't need pills who get on just fine, then on the complete other side you have the people who believe something is wrong, think they need a pill because something might be wrong. It's the good, the bad, and the ugly. Just because some people will take advantage of these things 'man, I bite my nails, I must be OCD, pills plz,' doesn't mean it won't help someone who actually needs to be helped. Everyone part of the system has something wrong with it. From the individual to the very highest person, we're all complacent in it, but that doesn't give everything a completely black or white summation. 'Nail biting is a disorder!' nor is it 'nail biting isn't a disorder!' it's, 'for some people who exhibit this kind of behavior it could be a sign of underlying problem, it's up to the individual to have the moral and mental capacity to see that yes, it is actually a problem and not just a gross habit, and then go to someone who can help them.'

Except that the flu is caused by a virus. Nail biting is not.