“Usually [a BFRB] is a behavior, like fingernail biting, hair pulling, or pores and skin selecting, however for it to be meet the standards to be a dysfunction, it signifies that it has to trigger some impairment and often an impairment in functioning,” says Barbara O. Rothbaum, PhD, ABPP, a professor of psychiatry at Emory College Faculty of Medication and a board member of The TLC Basis for Physique Targeted Repetitive Behaviors. That signifies that the habits makes individuals self-conscious, injured, or anxious sufficient that it stops them from interacting with others, going to work, making social plans, or experiencing different vital elements of life.

You don’t have to achieve this degree to note that you just’re doing this behavior, and possibly wish to minimize down. “Most likely everyone has bitten their lip out of a nervous behavior sooner or later,” Dr. Rothbaum says. However why did you begin lip biting within the first place?

Typically, body-focused habits can begin as a method to self-soothe or distract from nervousness. If it not directly feels good, even subconsciously, an individual is extra prone to repeat the motion. That holds true for lip biting.

“If any person’s biting their lip once they’re anxious and there’s a little little bit of ache, it’d truly distract them from their nervousness and that is perhaps reinforcing,” Dr. Rothbaum says. “Anytime any person is harassed or anxious, you often see any type of repetitive habits enhance, even when it isn’t a behavior, you see individuals getting extra fidgety and doing all types of issues.”

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Then, the extra typically you do an motion, you might have the potential to repeat that motion, “after which increase, you have bought a habits,” says Dr. Rothbaum.

“If any person’s biting their lip once they’re anxious and there’s a little little bit of ache, it’d truly distract them from their nervousness and that is perhaps reinforcing.” —Barbara O. Rothbaum, PhD, ABPP

As for why you would possibly begin lip biting over another motion, consultants are nonetheless undecided, Dr. Rothbaum says. Some individuals is perhaps extra genetically predisposed to fidgeting, and/or to particular actions, however the science on that’s not clear, but.

Easy methods to cease lip biting

So, what are you able to do about it? Step one is noticing the habits when it occurs. That means that you can doc occurrences, study triggers, and put together for moments once you is perhaps prone to lip-bite. Dr. Rothbaum recommends truly writing down occurrences, which is able to will let you monitor patterns and know when you should be extra conscious or vigilant.

“A part of the character of a behavior is that lots of it happens with out our consciousness after which impulsively we notice, oops, I’ve simply been biting my lips,” Dr. Rothbaum says. “Search for patterns, search for any ideas related to it, emotions related to it.”

Additionally useful: Dr. Rothbaum suggests doing one thing that bodily prevents you from doing the motion, like chewing gum. You may pop a chunk everytime you discover the biting begin, or begin chewing preemptively once you’re in a demanding state of affairs.

The excellent news is that you would be able to in all probability tame this behavior by yourself, Dr. Rothbaum says. Nevertheless, if you happen to really feel your lip biting is crossing over from a behavior to a BFRB, it’s possible you’ll wish to search assist from a psychological well being skilled, and take a look at the assets obtainable from locations like The TLC Basis for BFRBs.

“A number of occasions as soon as it begins, then it takes on a lifetime of its personal after which that is when it may turn out to be onerous and folks want remedy or need assistance to attempt to flip that round,” Dr. Rothbaum says.