Hey guys, not sure if this is in the right section, but oh well haha..

Okay, so I've been biting my nails since I was.. 12? I'm 17 now and it has progressively gotten worse to the point where I can't pick things up.. because my fingers are so sore. Now thankfully, I have good hygiene and my hands and fingers are usually clean, but it is still disgusting and unhealthy for my fingers. It also embarrasses me when me and my girlfriend hold hands and she looks down at my fingers and her face goes from smiling to "".

I've found a couple things that help stop my nail biting temporarily (smoking pot, eating, and other relaxing drugs like Xanax), but again it's only temporary. So, I'd like to ask for you guy's help.

If you've gone through what I am going through and you've been able to stop, please explain how you got yourself to stop. If not, just list any other ideas or tips you may have to help me out. Thanks.

Oh, and to give you an idea of how bad it is, my nail biting habit is no longer a conscious act. I bite them without even realizing it now. For example, I'll be writing and all the sudden notice I'm biting my fingers at the same time. It's bad.. and I hate it..