How to stop biting these nails?

[twesson]

I am 32 years old with 3 children.  My entire life I have had great nails.  Long and beautiful.  I always kept them filed and polished.  Around the age of 27 after my second child, I began biting my nails some.  However at that time I could consciously choose to stop and was successful.  Now for the past 2 years I have bitten my nails and it has increasingly became worse.  I have them bitten down way below the nail bed and the least little amount that my teeth feel I am compelled to bite them off.  Skin and all.  I pick at my skin around the nails and the nails themselves with small nose hair scissors and clippers.  I have even moved to the skin around my toes.  I haven't begun clipping my toe nails and don't feel the urge to do that but I do want to pick the skin around my toes and even to the point of pulling the skin and making them bleed.  I hate to look at my fingernails though.  I am embarrassed that they look so nasty but will find myself picking and biting and will even say to myself to stop but just can't make myself until that last little bit of skin is gone.  I know that this is only going to make my nails look worse but still continue.  I have been successful with fake nails and when I keep them on and filled in, I don't bother my nails... as bad.  I still find myself clipping any excess skin around the nail but not to the point that it hurts or is destructive.  The problem there is that fake nails can get expensive and our budget is tight.  However, if I were to go the medication and therapy route, which is to me unbelievable that medication could help this or that I could learn to stop, that can get expensive too.... I feel like I should just stop on my own but after I say "I am not going to bite my nails" I find myself saying "well, let me just get this one smooth or this one needs to be clipped".  My nails have never been this short.  Help!

[treazzure007]

i suggest buying the professional nail supplies and doing your nails yourself.  even if you dont worry about placing tips, it will allow your nails to grow back and you wont be able to bother them.  there are even some do-it-yourself videos on youtube