Nail Biting


Some experts claim that nail biters suffer from anxiety
and that the act of biting your nails reduces anxiety levels.

Others think it's just habit.
And that could be. . .  because for me,
it's so ingrained that I rarely realize I'm doing it.

I've tried painting on the nasty tasting stuff.
Getting artificial nails.
With the fake nails, I just start picking at any loose spots
and eventually strip them all off,
taking the top layers of my nails with it.

The few times I've fought the urge
and finally grew them out to the ends of my fingers
(or even beyond), my nails are really soft
and tear and break so easily that I give up
and go back to the raggedy, bitten look.

Whatever the etiology,
maybe it's not something I'll change in this lifetime.

What intractable habits bedevil you?


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