Nail biting is not just an aesthetic problem because it is a very difficult habit to eradicate that requires great willpower and self-control. 50% of the population, mostly women, suffer from this problem and usually appear between the ages of 10 and 18 and can last a lifetime.
For years, it was believed that the habit of nail biting was an incomprehensible indicator of nervous temperament and anxiety. However, according to a new study, this and other "body-centered" repetitive behaviors may be signs of something very different.
The study, published in the Journal of Behavioral Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, ensures that eating nails can be an indicator of perfectionism.
"We believe that people with these repetitive behaviors can be perfectionists, meaning that they are able to rest and perform their duties at a normal pace. Therefore, they are subject to frustration, impatience and dissatisfaction when they fail to achieve their goals. their ", comments Dr. Kieron O'Connor, author of the study.
The study consisted of 48 participants with repetitive habits, such as biting their nails, who had to answer a series of questions to determine their organizational behavior and emotional adjustment.
People who have the habit of nail biting are seen as perfectionist, organizational people, have a personality characterized by a tendency to make detailed plans and become overworked and often frustrated by lack of activity. Nail biting and other similar habits are repetitive behaviors that are taken to release closed energy that directs these people to perfectionism.
