Nail Biting and OCD by Kelly Jean Sullivan

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 Doctors classify chronic nail biting as a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder since the person has difficulty stopping.

 People often want to stop and make multiple attempts to quit without success.

 People with onychophagia cannot stop the behavior on their own, so it's not effective to tell a loved one to stop.

In some cases, nail biting can be caused by an underlying mental health condition. 

For example, chronic nail biting may be a sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD causes you to use repetitive,

 compulsive behaviors to ease the anxiety caused by obsessive, intrusive thoughts.