'Self-Injury with biting'

Comment #24 Jamie (63.176.159.41) -

I am a strange one in saying I do things a little differently. Instead of biting hands or nails, I pick at my nail cuticles until they are sore and ragged. But I think its more of a nervous habit than anything to do with bi-polar.

Comment #25 Cadle (86.25.183.124) -

I am suprised at how many comments their are, as the first one says, I also thought I was the only one, who bit their knuckles.

Its really annoying, because it now numb, so i could probably stick a needle through it, sounds disgusting doesn't it. They are red, raw and swollen, im not sure if the NHS would be able to help. I want them to look normal again, my left hand is worse.

Please help!

Comment #26 Amber (82.29.173.89) -

Hii, Im Amber and im 12 years old. i've been biting my knuckles, rubbing my arm out with a rubber and cutting myself with surgical blades .. im not sure what to do and i dont want to talk to a professional about it , Help?

ManythanksAmberr.x

Comment #27 Xus (86.156.203.146) -

I've done so many searches for this ..

I honestly thought I was the only one!

I've had a problem with this since childhood. So basically I've ALWAYS bitten my hands. I think it started at around 5/6 years old? I bite all of my fingers, the whole way down. The thumbs and in particular the knuckles. It's disgusting, I strip the flesh off and the skin is left calloused and bleeding. I'm now in my early 30's and it's getting harder to use my fingers properly because of the skin damage.

My GP prescribes moisturizer!

I did have a lot of trauma in my childhood, so perhaps this behaviour stems from that? I wish that I knew ...

I can't shake hands with people when I meet them, I am nervous when paying a cashier ... ashamed of the state of my hands.

Do whatever you can to stop, before it becomes habitual.

If anyone else does this to the same degree, I'd be really grateful if you could get in touch .. this has been my lifes curse. I don't know if there's any help out there, but even a word from another would be great!

Comment #28 Otek (63.176.159.221) -

For heaven's sake why do you guys bite yourselves?! My gosh I never imagined biting my own fingers and knuckles it is disgusting.. And to think of the pain i will feel when biting them, my god that is totally insane!!!

But a friend of mine that happens to bite his nails (atleast don't let his hands bleed) had gone through traumatic experience that I think is the reason behind his unusual habit.

Comment #29 Susan (72.146.63.147) -

i bite the back of my hands and leave bruises and red marks. I bite really really hard and i'm afriad that I might draw blood. I kind of do it because the pain on the outside kind of helps me forget any pain I feel inside - at least temporarily. Nobody has noticed yet and I can't sort out for myself whether it's really a cry for attention. It's only been in the last week or two but I've odne it so often now that it's gotten like a habit or addiction. I really hate it afterwards. It feels good and sad all at the same time that i'm not alone.

Comment #30 stephen (86.44.206.106) -

i am now 15 i didnt have the best of a childhood so far but im welloff from other kids ive being bitting my middle knuckles on both hands and the middle of all my fingers on my right hand the scares on my knuckles are red and full of tough skin i believe this is from stress and panic my parents by me loting and stuff but i still seem to continue on with the habit to be honest i feel the only person that can help stop it is me

• knuckle biting

Comment #31 Patrick (75.121.28.81) -

I'm 39 years old. I currently live in Southern Missouri and I have been biting my knuckles since I was 5-6 - hell I can't even remember when I stared because most of my childhood is a blur. In my teens, I would always maneuver my hand so that people could not see. It started with my right middle finger and I'm now at both thumbs, middle right, and pinky right.

Today was literally the first day I have search about this habit. I cannot believe that I'm not alone in this. I have always assumed that this was just some bizarre habit that I picked up as a kid. My biggest issue or trigger seems to be when I'm nervous OR my knuckles feel itchy and dry (insane cycle). So by biting and chewing it seems to temporarily relieve the feeling.

I'm biting them in and out of typing this dang post. If anyone out there has the same condition/problem and need someone to talk to - e-mail me at patrick@inside-info.com

Comment #32 James (98.207.79.138) -

I just did a search today for this because I have started to realize that my problem is getting really bad. I bite my knuckles, wrists, inside my finger. I also bit my finger nails down to the bone and often draw blood in my finger nails. I use a nail clipper and sometimes take of calluses from my skin. I am just realizing that it has to be because of stress in my life regarding, work living etc. It is strange to see so many people but it makes so much more sense now. I really want to try to start stopping and I am going to make a conscious effort. I almost just want to lotion up my hands and wear gloves .

Comment #33 Tyelor (98.237.148.181) -

Holy crap I do this recently.. My freind said i was retarted but I agree it helps but i find it kinda of odd when i do it i act like im messing around when im with my freind so they font ask about it

Comment #34 moy (63.176.159.123) -

All I knew was that the major problem many people had to deal with was the habit of biting the nails but this seems to be even a bigger problem.

Biting any part of the body is an indication of stress of some sort and nervousness too. Having to live with at 39 is serious Patrick. Have you tried to look for some solutions? How is this related to the bipolar disorder because I thought it only affected the married?

Comment #35 H.M (88.202.219.154) -

Hi I'm trying to stop self harming, I've done it my whole life and I've tried going completely cold turkey but it isn't getting any easier I can't get self harming off my mind and I've relapsed a couple of times in teh last 2 months. I used to bite, cut, inject punch things and I've been a mess. can anyone suggest how I can deal with all the urges and frustration of not allowing myself to harm. I've spoken to a few people and they are really doing there best to help me through this. I know my boyfriend hates seeing me depressed and I don't want to let anyone down,

help please x

Comment #36 Solo (63.176.159.107) -

Whew, there certainly are lots of blood in this forum. Why are people do this to themselves. Do you want the pain while biting those poor fingers and knuckles?

Well i think that is just part of the bipolar people do, i cant imagine more than biting and bleeding hands.

I suggest that you wear some gloves so if ever you have the urge to bite the fingers it will be protected, atleast..

Comment #37 Laur (71.225.118.135) -

I bite my knuckles when i'm bored, thinking, and stressed out. At least thats what ive noticed. I feel the roughness on them and start chewing away. When i sit at home, and my knuckles are hard and callased, i sometimes use a razor or nail clippers to take off the skin. I won't stop cutting away at the skin until they bleed. I guess i figure i could cut away my deformation of the skin, but inside i know i'm probably only making it worse. At work I wear bandaids to cover them so people dont ask me about it. But even with the bandaids people still ask, what did you do to your knuckles. Its hard for me in relationships too, they see it or feel it and they always ask. I dont think im a depressed person. I just dont know why i do this to myself.

Comment #38 Helena (67.193.210.188) -

"Me too...."

I bite my forearm. Not my hands, because when I bit there once, I parylized my hand temporarily or something. But I bite half way up my forearm and I always have huge bruises there.

It's like any addiction like cutting or drinking and mine is really bad. I bite whenever My family yells at me, or even speaks to me. It's liuke... when I want to hurt one of them, I bit my arm to the point of bringing a horrible purple bruise that doesn't go away for weeks....

Comment #39 Roni (71.222.215.51) -

"mama's worried"

my 5 year old has recently begun chewing/biting her cheeks. her father says she's just being a kid and that he used to do it too. I want to take her to the pediatrician, but i felt like i was being an alarmist until i read these posts...i'm calling the dr in the morning.

Comment #40 Eve (63.176.159.170) -

Well, maybe you'd want to send the child by a pediatrician anyway, just to make sure things are in one hundred percent order, but most kids tend to bite their cheeks when they're small and realizing that they can do that for the first time. Sometimes it never ends until they finally find themselves being fed up and they often move on to something else.

Comment #41 Eve (63.176.159.211) -

Still, in spite of this fact, many seemingly 'little' things can always become very serious problems in one's life, down the road.

Comment #42 Eve (63.176.159.125) -

It is never a bad thing to be too safe, especially when a child's health is concerned. I would only consider this fact because of the knowledge of such incidents that have gotten my frame of mind working toward such a direction.

Comment #43 Eve (63.176.159.4) -

One time, my friend's daughter had fallen into a cand hit her head on the concrete. Though she seemed alright and the pain was not very much after the night had passed, she was still at risk, as it is important to ensure that a child's head in a great working form, throughout its growth.

Comment #44 Eve (63.176.159.45) -

Into a *cshe had fallen, brushing the left side, back of her head onto the concrete. I am sorry about the mistype from the last time.

Comment #45 Celeste (63.176.159.160) -

I don't know if I have bi-polar disorder but whenever I get annoyed or depressed, I kinda have a habit of biting my tongue. I don't bite that hard to the point the it bleeds erratically, I just like clamp the side of my tongue in between my molars for minutes. This behavior of my mine often gives me some bruises or sometimes minor cuts on my tongue. I don't how I could stop this bad habbit

Comment #46 Almira (63.176.159.229) -

I also have a disorder, I bite my finger when I am nervous. I do this whenever I feel bad or whenever I feel something wrong is happening or something bad is to come my way. Is there anyway that I can be able to get through this feeling of mine? I just hope that you can help me out guys and share some advices. Thanks a lot and have a nice day.

Comment #47 Niels (84.30.61.202) -

"Biting all my knuckles"

Hello there. It's good to see other people have the same problem that I have, but it would be better to find a solution.

I started biting my knuckles around age 12, I am now 35. Only two times I have been able to refrain from knuckle biting. One time was on pure willpower, I just told myself I would never do it again, and to my suprise I didn't for at least a couple of months. I don't know how it started again, but it did.

When I was listening to these CD's, "perfect meditation", it also stopped, spontaneously. However, they only "work" for like 3 months and require like an hour a day of listening. I have no money at the moment, since I am studying medicine, but once I finish I will order the second level of those CDs. I hope it will do the trick again. I've recently started listening to the first level again, but it doesn't do anything anymore.

And anyway, I really just want some simple solution, not all kinds of crap that kind of do the trick! I don't like half solutions. Because I have to finish my studies in 5 months, I have a lot of stress at the moment, and the biting is at its worst again. I cause little wounds and it looks like . I do all my knuckles, but worst on the thumbs, index, second and ringfinger. I bite both hands.

My doctor suggested the autism thing to me. I went to see a specialist on this subject, who basically told me he could diagnose it, and subsequently he could subject me to a lot of blablabla which would not change anything, it could just help me accept that nothing could be done about it. I really disliked that man, for he was talking to me as if he had already diagnosed me with that stupid autism of his, but he only knew me for 30 minutes.

Also, why diagnose something that you can do nothing about? He also said that psychotherapy really doesn't work on autistic people. So basically he was telling me I could go screw myself.

I've talked to some other doctors and they said that they could not imagine that I have autism, so now I really don't know anymore what to believe.

Oh, and people who are saying here on this forum things like: gosh, go see a doctor, you people must be really sick chewing your knuckles, those people are ignorant, they don't know what they are talking about. Its not something easy that you can just buy some aspirine for and poof, all your problems are out the window!

Comment #48 Tony (63.176.159.101) -

Biting knuckles, self biting, what is this abnormality called? Could this be considered as a disease? I hate to say this but I wonder what comes into this people when they crave to hurt their body. Are yo not feeling the pain to continue doing those stuffs towards your very own body? I think all of you should consider a consultation with a physician. Have a good day guys and keep posting.

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