My 3 year old has developed some nervous habits that are harmful. I'm not sure how to get him to stop.

My son is 3 years old. He has sensory issues, and other issues as well. He gets anxious around anyone other than myself and my husband. When he is anxious, he will start doing his nervous habits. At first, it was just annoying habits like chewing his hands or putting his finger in his nose. For example, if he was being scolded, he would start chewing his hands. If he was around a big group of people, he would put his finger in his nose. Not actually pick it, just put it in there.Lately, the nervous habits are escalating. He is picking at his lips until they bleed. I will check his monitor at night and he will just be laying in his bed picking his lip. Sometimes his face will have blood all over it from this. He is also ripping off his nails. Not chewing them, but actually ripping them. When I first noticed it, I thought that his nails were just brittle and breaking off. But I caught him actually ripping them off. His fingernails and toenails are halfway down his fingers and toes and are nubs. If he was biting them, I could just get that bitter nail polish, but he isn't biting them.I have obviously tried asking him to stop when I see it. I have tried getting him to vocalize what he is feeling, but he has a hard time understanding what I mean. I feel like this is my fault because he reminds me so much of myself. I have a severe anxiety disorder and I also have nervous habits. When I was a kid I would worry about everything and I would do similar things. I had a hard time turning my brain off (I still do). I still bite my nails and pick at the skin until I bleed. I stopped doing it around my son, thinking maybe he learned it from me. But I have noticed that it happens when he is in a stressful situation, or when he is alone in his bed. Sometimes it happens when he is idle, like if he is watching a show, but not as often.He has an appointment on Monday for something unrelated, and I plan on bringing this up and asking if this is something that I should be super concerned about. I am worried. But if anyone has any advice or experience with something like this, I would really appreciate it. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2vghTza