Lorna (Nail Biting)
Austin, TX
I've had trouble with nail biting for fifty years. I was doing it all day long I wasn't even consciously aware of it. It felt out of control. Nobody wants to have horrible looking nails and hands, but being a woman with this problem made it especially difficult and as much as I wanted to, I couldn't stop doing it. I thought when different milestones happened in my life I would stop biting them. It had gotten to a point where I honestly didn't think that I could stop biting my nails because I'd done it my entire life and it was so difficult for me to overcome.
I've put bad tasting things on my nails and it had very little effect. My ex-husband had tried to help me by giving me incentives and bribes and they didn't work either. I tried hypnosis in the past and the first time I went, I didn't get a recording, so there wasn't anything to help reinforce it. I managed to stop for three weeks, but eventually went back to it. I went to another hypnotherapist who gave me tapes, but it didn't take for some reason. In both cases, the focus was just about thinking how bad it was and that wasn't enough motivation for me.
I was so sick of it and it was the new year, so I was ready to try it again. I heard about A New Day Hypnosis on Citysearch and I was able to stop after the first session. It's been six weeks since I've bitten my nails and it's been surprisingly easy. I don't have the impulse to do it and it just doesn't seem appealing to me anymore. I'm more aware of when my hand is going to my mouth and I stop myself and do something else instead. Changing habits has been the key for me. It feels natural for me to not bite my nails and that has been a relief.
I have an improvement in self-esteem and now that I've done this, I want to take care of myself in other ways. I feel more in control and have a real sense of satisfaction. I feel like I've overcome it. I'm conscious of the impulse, but now I have a choice and I don't engage with it. I feel more confident and more like a complete person because I don't have this thing that I have to hide anymore. Because I can do this, I know that I can improve other things in my life as well.
When I see my hands on the steering wheel, I don't have to think about how disgusting they look or be ashamed of them. I feel proud of the way that my hands look and I don't have that source of shame that I've carried around my whole life. I would recommend A New Day Hypnosis because it has worked for me and I think it would work for other things, too. I'm confident that I will continue with my progress because it isn't desirable for me and I don't want to do it anymore.