Hypnotherapy As The Primary Nail-Biting Solution

With the majority of physical habits, the underlying causes might be quite varied, and at different psychological levels. While hypnotherapy has a wide range of applications, the behaviors that are most directly related to physical habits are typically the ones that can be treated with hypnotherapy most immediately and directly. Hypnotherapy for smoking cessation is the most well known of these, and is among the most successful and less invasive techniques for achieving its goal. Another popular area for hypnotherapy treatment is for weight control.

Similarly, hypnotherapy is also the best technique for conquering a nail biting habit. Nail biting shares many similarities to smoking. It is a ritualistic, physical habit. Either may be caused by the mechanics of a simple physical routine, or might be indicative of deeper psychological issues. And in either case the habit itself can be very effectively stopped with hypnotherapy.

Discovering and resolving underlying psychological problems, which are exhibited in nail biting and smoking can be a process that requires numerous sessions with a knowledgeable hypnotherapist. However, not all hypnotists and hypnotherapists are capable of working at the deep psychological level. Thankfully, for the purposes of eliminating a nail biting or a smoking habit, they do not need to work below the most direct physical level.

The immediate goal of finding a nail biting cure is much more straightforward. Many of our deeper psychological and emotional states are influenced by our physical state, so in treating physical conditions directly, we are also able to have an indirect impact on deeper issues. In addition, not all negative physical habits have underlying causes; sometimes it is simply just a physical habit; and it "feels" good for the individual to take part in them. I have seen that the focused and relaxed state of hypnosis can have nearly miraculous results when used in causing simple changes to one's physical state. Whenever I eliminate severe burn pain, remove nausea, and eliminate other physical issues for a client in just seconds, it still surprises and amazes me, even though I am supposedly the one with the "power" (although as we know, the true power lies within the client's unconscious mind).

The capabilities exist in each of our minds to block severe nausea and pain; so the ability to prevent one from nail biting is a modest goal in comparison. I've found three of the most powerful hypnotherapy techniques to be anchoring, substitution and association. With association, one can link the undesirable behavior to something aversive; with substitution, one can replace the bad habit with an innocuous one; with anchoring, one can link physical movement triggers with alternative feelings and behaviors. With association, just like the simple hypnotic phenomenon can make a slice of white bread taste like the best New York Cheesecake to a subject, one can make the feeling and taste of nail biting to be extremely distasteful. If your subject is consistently and repeatedly conditioned to believe that the taste and feel of nail biting is very unpleasant, it will help the habit to disappear.

There are chemical products that achieve this goal via foul tasting nail polish. However, with a mental association they can stop nail biting without depending on using a chemical product. This "aversion" type of therapy generally isn't very helpful. But it is only reliable when used as an adjunct to relieving the stress that causes one to bite their nails, as well as extinguishing conditioned responses (unconscious associations), which triggers one to bite their nails. With substitution, it can be very effective to replace the nail biting pattern with a more benign affliction.

For instance, it is very effective to make the suggestion that whenever one feels the impulses that lead them towards nail biting, they will take a deep breath instead, and slowly exhale, achieving all the satisfaction and resolution that nail biting used to bring. I have found the deep breathing substitute to be very effective for a wide variety of ailments. Anchoring similarly can be used to subvert one action into a different one, and works well in combination with association and substitution. It is useful in creating the suggestion that every time subjects see their fingers approach their mouth, they vividly recall the bad taste association, and they take a deep breath instead to resolve the tension.

In summary, hypnotherapy has been recognized as one of the best techniques for negative habit modification. Just as with smoking cessation, the techniques and concepts discussed here prove to be very effective as a long-term nail-biting solution.

Alan B. Densky, CH has been helping clients with stress related problems since 1978. He offers a wide-ranging 7-session hypnotherapy break the nail biting habit CDs based on NLP and Ericksonian Hypnosis. Visit his hypnosis site for free videos on hypnosis, and advice.