I have this fingernail picking problem. Symptom of autism?

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Rodey316
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Joined: 29 Apr 2014
Gender: Male
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23 Jun 2015, 5:56 pm

So basically years ago (in January 2012), I developed this habit of rubbing my right thumb against my right ring fingernail. This would "polish" the fingernail making it shiny from the friction which would provide my fingernail with a more marble like texture, and this would make me want to literally scrape at it repetitively with my other hand. The habit still persists today and has interfered with my sleeping schedule a little bit in the past. If I woke up at 3-4 A.M, and I started rubbing or flicking at the fingernail, then I wouldn't be able to stop because it's caused by an urge to pick. Nowadays, I rub the fingernail, scratch at it, flick it, and clench my right hand into a fist so I can get a little popping sensation in the fingernail (which is probably just muscle in the ring finger) but I like feeling as if the popping is occurring behind the fingernail and also what fulfills the urge is hearing a POP or CRACK noise as I feel the popping sensation. I do this a lot during the day and in public, I crack my knuckles a lot so I can get that popping sensation without people having to see my usual picking tic. I tend to put a small piece of scotch tape on the fingernail to prevent myself from picking at it, usually before going to sleep so I don't lose sleep over picking at this fingernail. :lol: It's pretty embarrassing for me to say because I'm a male and I don't feel comfortable talking about my nails but it's been going on for three years now and I was wondering if this is part of having autism. (I have A.S) Does anybody else have this problem or a similar one and if so, how do you stop? Does the urge fade over time? Is this part of adolescence because I've heard that during adolescence, teens tend to BITE their nails a lot more than any other time during their life. I do bite the fingernail sometimes. I've tried tape and fidgets but those only temporarily help as I cannot always resist the urge to pick and scrape. It's only this ONE fingernail; I don't fixate and torture any other fingernail but my right fingernail. Can anybody relate to this?



kraftiekortie
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23 Jun 2015, 6:01 pm

I think it's more a symptom of being a teenager than anything else.

I used to bite my nails as a teenager. Unfortunately, I still do bite my nails.

I would guess that the only solution is to attempt to consciously stop yourself from picking at your nails.



Tom D
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23 Jun 2015, 6:05 pm

I don't know if it a symptom, but I always pick at my fingernails and peel them off if they get long enough. I always pick them off before I use nail clippers.