it does sound like its to do with anxiety. to stop you really need to talk to someone. you probably do it because its the only way you can deal with your emotions. try talking to the people you are close to when you are stressed out. talking always helps, or speak to a health professional

hey have you ever heard of Amanda Palmer? she's the singer/pianist for the Dresden Dolls... anyway, she does that thumb thing too. she has a song about it and she talks about it a few times in interviews, things like that. Anyway, i don't know what works for her or anything but i want to ask, do you do it when you're just sitting there bored, or always when you're stressed?

I have this problem too, I tend to try and keep other things in my mouth. Food, drinks, straws....Gum works wonders though.

i chew on mine a little bit actually. ive never really thought of it. i also do it when im on coke and i dont realize what im doing, but thats a different story..

I do mine too- pretty badly. I chew the cuticles and all the skin around the nail. My thumb generaly gets the worst of it too. I also chew the inside of my mounth- all along my cheek.

i try to keep my hands busy: knitting, typing, etc; it doesn't always help, but at least it's something.

i've been doing that since 4ever and i know what you mean!! its subconscious until your like ow!!!!

I do this all the time. My fingers and cheeks/lips hurt most days at least 4 out of 7 days. When they hurt really bad, I usually give them a day to heal. I haven't found anything that has made me stop yet.

I used to chew on my fingers, nails, and lips. I stopped chewing on my fingers and nails but I still do with my lips.
I can't remember exactly when or how I stopped eating the skin on my fingers and my nails. One thing that I think helped me is wearing mittens or gloves (obviously not out in public, unless it's actually appropriate). But since it is usually a subconscious thing and you don't even notice when you are doing it...the mittens/gloves will force you to stop. If it is possible, when out in public, try to constantly be holding something or just try to remind yourself not to bite. There's nothing particularly unhealthy about it except that your fingers might be dirty and you are letting in germs, and also it tends to look unsightly after a while on your fingers.
I haven't eaten my fingers/nails for a couple of years I think already. I haven't stopped biting my lips though, which if unfortunate because they often start bleeding, tearing, and chapping.
If you find out a way to control the lip biting, please respond =). Good luck!

I have a bad problem with eating my fingers , i have done this since i was about two years old ......i will chew my fingers from around the nail , my knuckles , and all along the fingers ..it looks bad , but i have this over whelming urge to do it .Sometimes you just do it without thinking while watching T.V
I also have a problem with biting my lips , and inside of my mouth , this becomes worse when i try hard to stop biting my fingers ..

Hayley

i bite my thumb and have been doing it since about puberty, so about 8 years now. Its a habit and i do it when im stressed, anxious, and excited. i dont know how to stop. Sometimes i accidently break the skin. Ppl ask why my thumb is discolored and i lie about it... only my family knows. I think its an anxiety problem... has anyone talked to a professional about this problem?

I dont bite them but I pick them and have done for almost 2 years. Mostly my thumbs but all my other finger too.

I usually pick all day until I bleed and until it really hurts then put Savlon and plasters on them for bed then I can wake up sore- free so I can pick even more. Its just routine now really but I wish I could stop it.

After I have been in the shower I have huge holes in my thumbs from where I have picked.

My thumbs are now like leather and i can feel tension when I bend them because the skin is so hard.

For biters [hehe] you can get some stuff to put on them that tastes awful, but for me it's useless and I cant stop it.