Just in time for August, we're proud to present the final installment of PsychoBabble's Nail Biting Series. So far, we've released:
- Entries on the PsychoBabble Blog
- A special edition of the PsychoBabble Newsletter (August '07)
- An annotated bibliography
- The "Stop Biting Your Nails!" booklet
And now, to top it all off: Stop Biting Your Nails!: The Video
The video is about 4 minutes long and summarizes the information available on the blog, newsletter, and booklet in visual form. It's not narrated, mainly because when we made a narrated version, it sounded really odd. Instead, the video is accompanied by Vanessa Mae's brilliant violin playing. The choice of song was quasi-arbitrary.
Anyway, without further ado:
Or, see in directly from YouTube by clicking HERE.
We're more than happy to supply you with a hi-def version free of charge, if you want one. Just send a request to jonathan@psy.otago.ac.nz, stating the purpose to which you will put the video.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
New Booklet Out!
As promised, our information booklet on chronic nail biting is out! It's an "introductory case study", which basically means that we talk about chronic nail biting in general, but also refer to a specific client. In this booklet, we cover several perspectives on nail biting, and plant ourselves in the cognitive-behavioural wing of the discussion. We also go into some detail on this "socially-supported, self-help programme" we hinted about in a previous entry.
Click here for the pdf.
More good news: Watch out for our nail biting mini-video, out soon!
Click here for the pdf.
More good news: Watch out for our nail biting mini-video, out soon!
Sunday, July 29, 2007
How do I stop biting my nails?
Wouldn't you like to know?
Treatment reflects aetiology. Such is the mantra of the clinical psychologist. Actually, we don't know any clinical psychologists who ever say things like that, but we think it's true anyway: Often, knowledge about the cause of a problem enables us to find a solution. Now, given that the research suggests explanatory pluralism when it comes to nail biting, we should expect a similar diversity in treatment options. The research has generally focused on three treatment traditions:
1. Drug therapy
2. Aversion therapy
3. Other cognitive-behavioural therapy.
Because nail biting has been linked to mood and anxiety disorders (e.g., depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder), drugs usually used to treat these disorders have sometimes been adopted to treat chronic nail biting as well. Clomipramine, a popular drug for obsessive-compulsive disorder, has been shown to be effective against nail biting. However, the potential side effects - nausea, diarrhoea, and drowsiness, among the milder but more common ones - are pretty nasty. More recently N-Acetyl Cysteine, a naturally occurring amino acid, has also been shown to be effective. However, it's early days yet for research in this field. No drug has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for nail biting thus far. Also, these drugs don't work for everyone - presumably only those whose nail biting habits are partially caused by underlying neurophysiological problems. Furthermore, they only work if you keep taking the drugs. For these reasons, we think drugs should be the last resort. SAY NO TO DRUGS!
Anyway, perhaps the most common advice given to nail biters is, "Paint some bitter stuff on your nails." On the face of it, this isn't bad advice. The bitterness increases awareness which, for motivated individuals, will help them reduce their nail biting. Furthermore, the bitterness also acts as punishment which, according to behavioural principles, should also reduce nail biting behaviour. Other people take this aversion therapy one step further by recommending self-administered shocking devices. The problem with aversion therapy is that people generally hate it. And so people drop out fairly readily. Furthermore, it is a truism in behaviour modification research that reinforcement works better than punishment.
In light of that, many researchers have looked into reinforcing more adaptive behaviours to interfere with nail biting behaviour. A nail biter might, for example, be taught to chew gum or trim his nails with a nail clipper, instead of biting them. These so-called competing response or habit-reversal treatments have been shown to be successful, and relatively inexpensive.
Finally, we think that nail biters should try what we call a socially-supported, self-help programme. Because it's a self-help programme, this is much cheaper than any of the other treatment options. Furthermore, because it's based on principles gleaned from the research literature, it should be effective in reducing nail biting behaviour.
To find out more about treatment options and our recommended first line of action, read the full PsychoBabble report, coming soon!
Treatment reflects aetiology. Such is the mantra of the clinical psychologist. Actually, we don't know any clinical psychologists who ever say things like that, but we think it's true anyway: Often, knowledge about the cause of a problem enables us to find a solution. Now, given that the research suggests explanatory pluralism when it comes to nail biting, we should expect a similar diversity in treatment options. The research has generally focused on three treatment traditions:
1. Drug therapy
2. Aversion therapy
3. Other cognitive-behavioural therapy.
Because nail biting has been linked to mood and anxiety disorders (e.g., depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder), drugs usually used to treat these disorders have sometimes been adopted to treat chronic nail biting as well. Clomipramine, a popular drug for obsessive-compulsive disorder, has been shown to be effective against nail biting. However, the potential side effects - nausea, diarrhoea, and drowsiness, among the milder but more common ones - are pretty nasty. More recently N-Acetyl Cysteine, a naturally occurring amino acid, has also been shown to be effective. However, it's early days yet for research in this field. No drug has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for nail biting thus far. Also, these drugs don't work for everyone - presumably only those whose nail biting habits are partially caused by underlying neurophysiological problems. Furthermore, they only work if you keep taking the drugs. For these reasons, we think drugs should be the last resort. SAY NO TO DRUGS!
Anyway, perhaps the most common advice given to nail biters is, "Paint some bitter stuff on your nails." On the face of it, this isn't bad advice. The bitterness increases awareness which, for motivated individuals, will help them reduce their nail biting. Furthermore, the bitterness also acts as punishment which, according to behavioural principles, should also reduce nail biting behaviour. Other people take this aversion therapy one step further by recommending self-administered shocking devices. The problem with aversion therapy is that people generally hate it. And so people drop out fairly readily. Furthermore, it is a truism in behaviour modification research that reinforcement works better than punishment.
In light of that, many researchers have looked into reinforcing more adaptive behaviours to interfere with nail biting behaviour. A nail biter might, for example, be taught to chew gum or trim his nails with a nail clipper, instead of biting them. These so-called competing response or habit-reversal treatments have been shown to be successful, and relatively inexpensive.
Finally, we think that nail biters should try what we call a socially-supported, self-help programme. Because it's a self-help programme, this is much cheaper than any of the other treatment options. Furthermore, because it's based on principles gleaned from the research literature, it should be effective in reducing nail biting behaviour.
To find out more about treatment options and our recommended first line of action, read the full PsychoBabble report, coming soon!
Saturday, July 28, 2007
101 (Positive) Reasons to Stop Biting Your Nails
Actually, we couldn't think of 101 reasons, so here are 10:
1. Just as bitten fingernails are considered unattractive, neat, kempt fingernails are attractive to most. Nowadays, with manicures and nail art, nice fingernails can even boost your reproductive advantage!
2. Fingernails are useful for peeling price stickers off stuff. This is especially useful when you're buying someone a gift.
3. Fingernails are useful for untying knots. And ribbons. And things like that.
4. Fingernails are useful for opening up cans of soda. Some of those tab things are a pain!
5. Fingernails are useful for scratching itches. Although granted, sometimes we scratch too hard.
6. Fingernails are useful for self-defense. You can scratch people with them. And if you die, the forensic biologists might be able to get DNA traces from under your fingernails!
7. Fingernails are useful to pick up really fine things. They're like tweezers.
8. Fingernails are useful for making those awful blackboard scratchy noises. No better way to get a class's attention.
9. Fingernails are useful for poking mosquito bites. For some reason, that makes them itch less.
10. If you ever get stuck in a desert island, at least you'll have some extra protein to keep you alive.
1. Just as bitten fingernails are considered unattractive, neat, kempt fingernails are attractive to most. Nowadays, with manicures and nail art, nice fingernails can even boost your reproductive advantage!
2. Fingernails are useful for peeling price stickers off stuff. This is especially useful when you're buying someone a gift.
3. Fingernails are useful for untying knots. And ribbons. And things like that.
4. Fingernails are useful for opening up cans of soda. Some of those tab things are a pain!
5. Fingernails are useful for scratching itches. Although granted, sometimes we scratch too hard.
6. Fingernails are useful for self-defense. You can scratch people with them. And if you die, the forensic biologists might be able to get DNA traces from under your fingernails!
7. Fingernails are useful to pick up really fine things. They're like tweezers.
8. Fingernails are useful for making those awful blackboard scratchy noises. No better way to get a class's attention.
9. Fingernails are useful for poking mosquito bites. For some reason, that makes them itch less.
10. If you ever get stuck in a desert island, at least you'll have some extra protein to keep you alive.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Nail Biting Bibliography
This just in: Yesterday, a reader asked if he could have a bibliography, so he could evaluate the empirical evidence for himself. Now our lives are complete. Indeed, we could ask for no greater reward than that our readers get interested enough in psychological research to look up primary research material themselves! It's not like we get remuneration for this. So, we're prepared a Nail Biting Annotated Bibliography. Yes, it's about nail biting. No, it won't cause you to bite your nails in excitement. More than one person has cracked that joke today. Click here for the PDF document.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Why shouldn't I bite my nails?
OK, we're back with the low down on the negative side effects of nail biting. Many of you might've heard and/or believed that nail biting gives you stomach worms. My grandmother certainly scared the nail biting out of me by telling me old wives' tales about little boys who bit their nails and died with an nest of worms in their stomachs. Ew. Thankfully, there is no evidence to suggest that this is true. Sure, sure, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, but the lack of evidence isn't for lack of trying. So, rest assured nail biters, you won't be filled with these thanks to your nail biting:
But don't get your hopes up. It's not all cotton candy and other nice, harmless things. Most people are convinced that nail biting is unsanitary, and they're right. A study published this year found that nail biters carried more potentially harmful bacteria - including E. Coli (which is harmful when it's in the wrong place) - in their mouths than non-nail biters.
There's more, of course. Dentists have been complaining for years that nail biting causes gum damage, inflammation, and infection. Nail biters often scratch their gums, and leave harmful bacteria in the wounds. The effects can be, and often are, painful.
Thirdly, nail biting has also been linked to the inflammation and infection of the fingers and fingernails. In its milder manifestations, you might just experience slight swelling of the finger tips (and the accompanying soreness). However, in some cases, the fungal infections might can get really nasty. Plus, they're contagious. Jeepers.
Now, our nod to evolutionary psychology: Nail biting reduces reproductive fitness. It's common knowledge that people find nail biting unattractive. Most people perceive the habit as a sign of nervousness, and that's rarely a good trait to portray. So...your nail biting habit might well render you mateless! It's a pity that there's no actual data on this, so no one knows if nail biting actually does reduce reproductive fitness, but it's a cool idea.
Well, that's all for the nasty effects of nail biting. Stay tuned for our homage to Positive Psychology: What are the benefits of having nice, unbitten nails?
But don't get your hopes up. It's not all cotton candy and other nice, harmless things. Most people are convinced that nail biting is unsanitary, and they're right. A study published this year found that nail biters carried more potentially harmful bacteria - including E. Coli (which is harmful when it's in the wrong place) - in their mouths than non-nail biters.
There's more, of course. Dentists have been complaining for years that nail biting causes gum damage, inflammation, and infection. Nail biters often scratch their gums, and leave harmful bacteria in the wounds. The effects can be, and often are, painful.
Thirdly, nail biting has also been linked to the inflammation and infection of the fingers and fingernails. In its milder manifestations, you might just experience slight swelling of the finger tips (and the accompanying soreness). However, in some cases, the fungal infections might can get really nasty. Plus, they're contagious. Jeepers.
Now, our nod to evolutionary psychology: Nail biting reduces reproductive fitness. It's common knowledge that people find nail biting unattractive. Most people perceive the habit as a sign of nervousness, and that's rarely a good trait to portray. So...your nail biting habit might well render you mateless! It's a pity that there's no actual data on this, so no one knows if nail biting actually does reduce reproductive fitness, but it's a cool idea.
Well, that's all for the nasty effects of nail biting. Stay tuned for our homage to Positive Psychology: What are the benefits of having nice, unbitten nails?
August Newsletter Out Early!
We've decided to release the August newsletter early this month. For all you PsychoBabble noobs out there, the newsletter is usually a summarized version of the PsychoBabbling that goes on on this site, and on our other projects (e.g., the (sometimes video) podcast). It's designed for those Type-A personality types who (a) have no time to read/watch/listen to actual research articles or even our reviews of research topics, and (b) want to stick info sheets about given topics on their fridges/notice boards. So...go get the August newsletter a few days early by clicking the link on the right side bar. Yes, that's the one under "Newsletters."
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Why do I bite my nails so much?
As we said in the previous entry, several people have been sending in e-mails, asking about their nail biting habit. Pretty much all of them wanted to know the same three things:
Why do I do it?
Is it really bad for me?
How do I stop?
It seemed natural to begin with some information on causation. There are, as you'd expect in psychology, several theories on what causes chronic nail biting. Broadly speaking, there are psychoanalytic theories, psychopathological models, and cognitive-behavioural explanations.
For those of you familiar with the psychoanalytic tradition, it will come as no surprise to you that nail biting is conceived of as a maladaptive strategy for releasing sexual tension and/or other forms of frustration and aggression. These largely subconscious conflicts emerge in self-destructive behaviour, like nail biting.
While psychoanalytic theories of nail biting usually link nail biting to self-mutilation and eating disorders, most other researchers are inclined towards comparing nail biting with anxiety disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder. In this view, nail biting is often thought to be an impulse control disorder (of which hair pulling, kleptomania, and pyromania are other examples) in the obsessive-compulsive spectrum. Alternatively, some treat nail biting as a subclinical variant of an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder. The motivation behind this classification of chronic nail biting as a OCD-spectrum disorder is that nail biting is thought to share similar neurophysiological roots with OCD-spectrum disorders.
Finally, cognitive-behavioural theorists think that chronic nail biting may have less to do with neurophysiological problems than maladaptive learning. Nail biters, argue cognitive-behavioural folk, have learnt (either from others or by accident) that nail biting is relaxing (and therefore psychologically rewarding), especially in times of stress, anxiety or boredom.
Now, none of these theories are really mutually exclusive. Most researchers concede that in any given individual, chronic nail biting may well be caused by underlying anxiety, neurophysiological dysfunction, and operant learning, all at a go. Furthermore, nail biting is one of those habits that is thought to be aetiologically pluralistic. Again, most researchers concede that different nail biters may develop the habit in different ways: Some may suffer from anxiety disorders, some may simply have picked up the nasty habit from their parents. This explanatory pluralism has implications for treatment, as treatment is often chosen based on aetiology. Before we go into that however, watch out for the next entry on the effects of nail biting.
Why do I do it?
Is it really bad for me?
How do I stop?
It seemed natural to begin with some information on causation. There are, as you'd expect in psychology, several theories on what causes chronic nail biting. Broadly speaking, there are psychoanalytic theories, psychopathological models, and cognitive-behavioural explanations.
For those of you familiar with the psychoanalytic tradition, it will come as no surprise to you that nail biting is conceived of as a maladaptive strategy for releasing sexual tension and/or other forms of frustration and aggression. These largely subconscious conflicts emerge in self-destructive behaviour, like nail biting.
While psychoanalytic theories of nail biting usually link nail biting to self-mutilation and eating disorders, most other researchers are inclined towards comparing nail biting with anxiety disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder. In this view, nail biting is often thought to be an impulse control disorder (of which hair pulling, kleptomania, and pyromania are other examples) in the obsessive-compulsive spectrum. Alternatively, some treat nail biting as a subclinical variant of an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder. The motivation behind this classification of chronic nail biting as a OCD-spectrum disorder is that nail biting is thought to share similar neurophysiological roots with OCD-spectrum disorders.
Finally, cognitive-behavioural theorists think that chronic nail biting may have less to do with neurophysiological problems than maladaptive learning. Nail biters, argue cognitive-behavioural folk, have learnt (either from others or by accident) that nail biting is relaxing (and therefore psychologically rewarding), especially in times of stress, anxiety or boredom.
Now, none of these theories are really mutually exclusive. Most researchers concede that in any given individual, chronic nail biting may well be caused by underlying anxiety, neurophysiological dysfunction, and operant learning, all at a go. Furthermore, nail biting is one of those habits that is thought to be aetiologically pluralistic. Again, most researchers concede that different nail biters may develop the habit in different ways: Some may suffer from anxiety disorders, some may simply have picked up the nasty habit from their parents. This explanatory pluralism has implications for treatment, as treatment is often chosen based on aetiology. Before we go into that however, watch out for the next entry on the effects of nail biting.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Special Edition: Nail Biting
(Sort of) In celebration of the revamping of our weblog (among other things), we're doing something special this August. Instead of our usual slew of QnA sessions and latest news updates and such, we're going devoting an entire issue to one topic: Nail biting.
Over the months, several of our readers/viewers/listeners have written in to ask about their (or others', of "others'") nail biting habits. Unfortunately, we never quite got to answering any of their questions. A few weeks ago, however, an opportunity reared it's head. Someone in our team had a client come in to see him about a chronic nail biting habit. Now, if you flip through a clinical psychology textbook or even the DSM-IV-R (i.e., the Bible of psychological disorders), you won't find very much at all on nail biting. Most psychologists don't know very much at all about nail biting, having not engaged with the research as part of their formal training. So, the PsychoBabble team was dispatched to learn all there is to learn about nail biting, it's possible causes, effects, and treatments.
Now, the client's sorted, and he's kindly agreed to let us use him as a case study of sorts to talk about chronic nail biting. As usual, we've put all the information we can into several different formats. Over the next few days, there we'll be posting blog entries on nail biting. If you can't wait that long, or you can't be bothered reading the long version, you can download the 2-page newsletter. If you don't like reading, or have fallen in love with our podcaster's voice, you can download the PsychoBabble video podcasts on nail biting.
Over the months, several of our readers/viewers/listeners have written in to ask about their (or others', of "others'") nail biting habits. Unfortunately, we never quite got to answering any of their questions. A few weeks ago, however, an opportunity reared it's head. Someone in our team had a client come in to see him about a chronic nail biting habit. Now, if you flip through a clinical psychology textbook or even the DSM-IV-R (i.e., the Bible of psychological disorders), you won't find very much at all on nail biting. Most psychologists don't know very much at all about nail biting, having not engaged with the research as part of their formal training. So, the PsychoBabble team was dispatched to learn all there is to learn about nail biting, it's possible causes, effects, and treatments.
Now, the client's sorted, and he's kindly agreed to let us use him as a case study of sorts to talk about chronic nail biting. As usual, we've put all the information we can into several different formats. Over the next few days, there we'll be posting blog entries on nail biting. If you can't wait that long, or you can't be bothered reading the long version, you can download the 2-page newsletter. If you don't like reading, or have fallen in love with our podcaster's voice, you can download the PsychoBabble video podcasts on nail biting.
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