Habit Summary

How did you select the behavior you were willing to change?

         It was an easy decision for me to select the behavior I was willing to change. Without a doubt, biting my nails was the habit that I needed to break, whether it was going to be easy or not. I was aware that it was not only physically unattractive but also detrimental to my health and painful. In addiction, this summer I start my level 2 fieldwork as an occupational therapy student, and to have nails that look disgusting is very unprofessional in the health field. No one will want my help (or for me to touch them) if they see that my fingers are bloody and always in my mouth. It is unsanitary for clients, co-workers, and myself.

How easy or difficult was it to abstain from engaging in that behavior?

         At first abstaining from engaging in nail biting was very challenging. Biting my nails was a habit that was second nature for me. I have bit my nails since as long as I can remember so quitting was that much more difficult. It was extremely difficult because most of the time I did not even realize that I was doing it. In the beginning stages, I thought how could I stop doing something that I do not realize that I am doing? Luckily I became more aware of my behaviors and used my friends as supports to help me kick the habit.

Did you have any help/support? If so, from who? Did that make a difference in your success?

         I had help and support throughout the process, and it is a good thing because I do not know that I would have been as successful if they were not there for me. Specifically, my roommates were aware of the experiment and helped me stopped biting my nails. Every time they would see me with my hands in my mouth I would get a verbal warning of some kind, and if that did not work then they would physically push my arm down to get my hands out of my mouth. During this time, I was definitely cranky, and I’m sure they were not happy with me. However, they really helped me, and now I can thank them. I really owe a great deal of my success to them and I am very thankful that I had them. I am lucky that they did not give up on me, even when I was irritable and told them to leave me alone. The 3 of them kept doing what I asked them to do in the very beginning, and now my nails are painted, long, and look nice.

What were some things you learned about yourself through this assignment?

         I learned new things about myself through this assignment. First, when I am stressed, that is when I have to be aware to keep my hands away from my face. Stress has always triggered my nail biting, as it is a nervous habit; however part of overcoming that is my will power, that I know I have now after completing this experiment. I also know how great it feels after fighting the urge and being successful. Other triggers I noticed were boredom and seeing someone else bit their nails. Interestingly enough, seeing someone else bit their nails was a trigger for me in the beginning, but now I see someone and it disgusts me, motivating me to keep my hands out of my mouth even more. This is so interesting and proves to me that I have really changed my mind-set mentally and that I kicked the habit. Lastly, because I am an organizer and a “neat-freak” I like things looking nice so that pushed me to not mess up my nails. Knowing that they were not the same length or looked messy ended up driving me crazy so using my other traits to stop this habit really helped me as well.

How does your experience connect to information you have learned through assigned readings and in-class discussions?

         Based on the knowledge I gained during this experience, I can understand how difficult it would be for someone to fight an addiction. I had great difficulty trying to change my habit because it was psychological and comfortable, which is something that people with addictions can relate to. For example, someone who is addicted to smoking or drinking finds that comforting. Also, most likely they have done it a long period of time, which makes it more difficult to stop because it is a way of life. It not hard to see why changing an individual’s behaviors and actions would be a life struggle.

         There are many different supports and approaches that would be beneficial to someone trying to change a behavior. For starters, changing the environment is a great first step. This includes where they are going, whom they are with, and what they are doing. Changing these factors, although challenging, keeps the individual at a safe distance away from what their addiction. According to class discussions and readings in the textbook, this “out of sight, out of mind” technique is very helpful. Also, according to our textbook there are other approaches that are strength based, such as solution-focused therapy and narrative therapy. These approaches really focus on the positives of life and stray away toward the negatives.

         Lastly, a huge support in trying to over come an addiction is the actual people who are supporting you, whether that is family, friends, sponsors, or individuals who are also trying to over come an addiction. These people are there to help you throughout the journey and are a driving force. I know with my nail biting, I would not have been able to stop the habit if it were not for my friends and family.

         I believe that habits can be broken, as people change throughout their lives. I strongly believe that I have stopped biting my nails for the rest of my life. Now, it is very possible that I could slip up from time to time if a nail breaks, however I know I will not find my self in the same position I was once in. I truly believe that I will never have all my nails so short that they are bleeding and constantly in my mouth. I think this is similar for addictions in that the more you want to fight the addition, the better your chances are for conquering it and being successful. As we saw in class with the guest speaker, she was drug free, but she knows herself well enough that her “addictive personality” can get her hooked to almost anything. The fact that she knows this about her self is a great step in fighting any addiction that could come along. I think that addictions can be controlled, however, there might always be that underlying message of “what if,” which is something that is located deep in the brain. Both guest speakers appeared to be leaning toward the way of addiction being a disease and not a choice, which makes me think that addictions cannot be cured; however they can be controlled. Through the readings, class discussions, and habit experiment, I feel like I have a great appreciation and understanding for individuals with addictions and that I will definitely be able to take all that I have learned with me and apply it to my future career.