Is Nail Biting A Form Of Stimming?

Stimming, short for self-stimulatory behavior, refers to repetitive or rhythmic movements or sounds that some individuals with autism or other neurodevelopmental conditions engage in. It is often used as a way of regulating emotions and managing sensory information.

Nail biting and nail picking are forms of stimming but that’s not to say that only autistic people do it nor does it mean you are autistic if you bite your nails.

Nail biting is a way for people – whether autistic or not – to cope with stress or otherwise manage sensory overload or even just deal with things when bored. There are certainly many triggers for nail biting but those are some of the popular ones.

What are the common stimming techniques?

Other than nail biting and picking, some other common forms of stimming include:

• Rapid and repetitive movement of the hands, often seen as a way to manage overstimulation.
• Rhythmic back-and-forth movement, often used as a form of self-soothing.Rapid spinning or twirling, often used to regulate sensory input.
• Echolalia, the repetition of words or phrases, is a common form of stimming for some individuals.
• Repetitive movements with objects.
• Body rocking.
• Some individuals engage in repetitive touching or rubbing of objects for sensory stimulation.

Maybe you find yourself doing some of these in addition to nail biting, maybe you don’t. But if nail biting and picking is a problem for you, there is a reason(s) for it and it’s important to find out what that is so you can stop it.

By at least identifying your triggers – the things that set you off and cause you to bite your nails – you can begin to understand why you’re doing it and put a stop to it. Really have a think about it and pay attention – journal it in writing if you have to – to figure out if there’s a pattern i.e. you bite nails when under stress, when bored, etc.