Smoking. At 12?

[iMuse]

Hey,
Well, yesterday I started smoking properly.
I've smoked before, a few times, but yesterday I bought my own pack (well, I asked a stranger to buy them).
The reason I'm starting to smoke is because it helped my sister stop self harming, and nothing else is working, and I'm hoping this might. I'm only doing it till Autumn because I can self harm during winter, but in summer, people find out.
So I don't get addicted, I've limited myself to 20 a month. Also, I don't want the affects of smoking.
I've never had brilliant skin, I always have about one spot on my head, and it's gotten worse recently-about 3 at a time-, but since I started smoking, (only yesterday!), I've gained about 5 small spots under my hairline, no one sees them.
Do you think it's just about to be "my time of the month" again, or do you think that it's the smoking? Or a mix?
By the way, I have an eating disorder, so it may be related.
Cheers for the help!

Oh, and please don't give me an essay on why I should stop, because I don't want to stop, it's starting to work. And I just love smoking.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

[Maloo]

I'm kind of confused because the way you titled your thread makes it seem to me like you're looking to be reprimanded. Because your question in the thread is completely irrelevant to your age.

You say that you don't want the bad effects of smoking? Too late. As soon as you start, you're damaging your body.

There can be many causes for acne, so there's no way to really say why it's happening.

Have you tried going to counseling? Picking up a bad habit to try to get rid of another really isn't healthy.

[Ngikhona]

I know you say you don't want an essay about why you shouldn't smoke, but you're 12. While you could be far mature beyond your years, the fact is that you haven't been around as long as others, including myself, have been. I've heard that after smoking just four cigarettes, your brain is permanently altered. Cigarettes are highly addictive and other than the temporary comfort you get from them, absolutely no good can come from cigarettes. Cigarettes are only a temporary solution to whatever problems you're having and, honestly, Myss is right that it won't help to replace one bad habit with another. Self-harming, eating disorders, and smoking all have horrible effects on your body and brain and have severe long-term consequences. I really think you should try to see a counselor or someone rather than turning to another dangerous thing to try to counter another thing. Counseling can not only teach you how to cope with bad feelings, but can keep you from wanting to smoke. There are so so few good things that can come out of smoking and the positives strongly outweigh the negatives. I'd suggest Googling the effects of smoking and nicotine because both smoking and self-injury are life long battles once you get started.

Edit:
As far as your skin goes, smoking definitely can alter your skin condition. It ages your skin, especially on your face, and can make it dry and make it act up through acne.

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

I'm scratching my head trying to understand this, so if I do understand correctly... you want to smoke cigarettes in order to stop self-harming? Assuming somehow that works, you're left with the fact you could get addicted despite what your plans not to and you will have your health impacted, no way around that. You may not want the health impacts but that's too bad, they're going to happen.

The health affects aside, what do you plan to do once you get caught? If you see a dentist, it's going to be rather obvious that you're smoking or doing something drastically different that's bad for your health. The smell of it would tip off teachers even if they don't see you smoking, same with your parents. Have you thought of what you'll do to not get caught?

It's using one unhealthy often difficult habit to break in substitution of another unhealthy often difficult habit to break. Once you stop self-harming (if you do), you then need to deal with the smoking issues. Would it not be better to put away the cigarettes and try seeing a counselor? I don't see how smoking would resolve the eating disorder as well, so you still have that third habit to overcome. Counseling could resolve both without impacting your health.

[iMuse]

I have a counsellor, but it does nothing for me, but I'm scared to stop going to him, incase he does start to help.

I know about all the addictive shit inside, don't worry. I'm having a breather until Monday, no cigarettes till Monday. Partly to clear up my skin, but also just to give my body a rest.

About hiding everything, well I've thought that throw. My rules are:
Only smoke when alone, either wearing nothing or wearing a long raincoat, blowing the smoke away from you, brush your teeth or have gum afterwards then spray your whole body including hair with air freshener. I know it doesn't cover everything, but it covers a lot.

I would rather just self harm and have okay skin, than have bad skin and smoke. I think I'm going to just finish my pack, and only have them on bad nights, then stop completely, because I know I should stop. I have about 18 cigarettes left. That -when rationed- should last me over a month, before I stop.

Thanks for the advice guys

[trigmynig]

Originally Posted by iMuse

I have a counsellor, but it does nothing for me, but I'm scared to stop going to him, incase he does start to help.

I know about all the addictive shit inside, don't worry. I'm having a breather until Monday, no cigarettes till Monday. Partly to clear up my skin, but also just to give my body a rest.

About hiding everything, well I've thought that throw. My rules are:
Only smoke when alone, either wearing nothing or wearing a long raincoat, blowing the smoke away from you, brush your teeth or have gum afterwards then spray your whole body including hair with air freshener. I know it doesn't cover everything, but it covers a lot.

I would rather just self harm and have okay skin, than have bad skin and smoke. I think I'm going to just finish my pack, and only have them on bad nights, then stop completely, because I know I should stop. I have about 18 cigarettes left. That -when rationed- should last me over a month, before I stop.

Thanks for the advice guys

so you hurt your self, and smoke, but you smoke to not hurt your self? but you only smoke cause its winter? your 12, stop hurting yuor self..

[Maloo]

Originally Posted by iMuse

I have a counsellor, but it does nothing for me, but I'm scared to stop going to him, incase he does start to help.

If he's not helping you, then you need a new counselor.

Originally Posted by iMuse

I know about all the addictive shit inside, don't worry. I'm having a breather until Monday, no cigarettes till Monday. Partly to clear up my skin, but also just to give my body a rest.

Taking a break isn't going to do anything. You've still already smoked, and you're still going to go back to smoking.

Originally Posted by iMuse

About hiding everything, well I've thought that throw. My rules are:
Only smoke when alone, either wearing nothing or wearing a long raincoat, blowing the smoke away from you, brush your teeth or have gum afterwards then spray your whole body including hair with air freshener. I know it doesn't cover everything, but it covers a lot.

So you're going to smoke naked..? Blowing the smoke away from you isn't going to keep the smell off of your face, and especially your hands.

Originally Posted by iMuse

I would rather just self harm and have okay skin, than have bad skin and smoke. I think I'm going to just finish my pack, and only have them on bad nights, then stop completely, because I know I should stop. I have about 18 cigarettes left. That -when rationed- should last me over a month, before I stop.

Thanks for the advice guys

You seem to be under the impression that you can just stop smoking whenever you want. You say that you know about the addicting components of cigarettes, but you don't seem to understand just how addicting they are. Unless you're a very lucky person, you can't just start smoking and one day decide "I'm gonna stop now" and have it be a cake walk. If you're like the vast majority of the human population, you're going to have cravings and you're going to have withdrawal symptoms. And it's not going to be fun.

You're really much better off just finding a counselor that works for you, not smoking, and quitting cutting.

[TheCrowing]

Btw.. Smoking to not hurt yourself is not a very good idea. I started smoking a little after I first began sh, and when I stopped smoking, it made my sh much worse. Please, if you're going to smoke, know that there will be side effects and consequences that you probably have not planned for. I'm not going to tell you what you can and cannot do, but take it from someone who has been struggling with these things for six years... Be wise about your decisions.

[Scotty]

smoking sucks. I cant even believe ive been doing it for five years now. to be honest Ide say cutting yourself is probably better for you then smoking. so dont try to stop one bad thing by doing something worse, just stop the bad thing.

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

Originally Posted by iMuse

I have a counsellor, but it does nothing for me, but I'm scared to stop going to him, incase he does start to help.

If he counsellor you have isn't working for you then there's no point in having that counsellor, you need someone different.

Originally Posted by iMuse

I know about all the addictive shit inside, don't worry. I'm having a breather until Monday, no cigarettes till Monday. Partly to clear up my skin, but also just to give my body a rest.

I don't believe you for a second because of what the stuff you said below, you don't seem to understand the practical aspects that you cant avoid being detected in the ways you're saying. Also, you're 12 years old, you don't know about the "addictive shit". Researchers are working on this and they don't understand all of it. I'm in university courses using experiments and research involved in this, and it's not something you can easily understand. So no, you don't understand for a second anything about the addictive compounds and the nature of them. If you do, start publishing scientific papers showing your knowledge on this.

You seem to be under this impression that the effects go away very fast and won't be visible once you briefly stop. Not the case.

Originally Posted by iMuse

About hiding everything, well I've thought that throw. My rules are:
Only smoke when alone, either wearing nothing or wearing a long raincoat, blowing the smoke away from you, brush your teeth or have gum afterwards then spray your whole body including hair with air freshener. I know it doesn't cover everything, but it covers a lot.

The smell is going to be on you whether you smoke in the nude alone or in a long raincoat. Blowing smoke away won't matter for the simple reason that the smoke is coming from you. Every smoker blows the smoke from them, none of them blow it onto themselves intentionally. Having gum and mouthwash may help your breath not smell but if you begin spraying air freshener all of yourself combined with the smoke scent, it's going to draw more attention to yourself as it will have a very strong and somewhat unusual smell.

Originally Posted by iMuse

I would rather just self harm and have okay skin, than have bad skin and smoke. I think I'm going to just finish my pack, and only have them on bad nights, then stop completely, because I know I should stop. I have about 18 cigarettes left. That -when rationed- should last me over a month, before I stop.

This brings me back to what I said above about you not understanding a single thing about the addictive nature of cigarettes. Once you do get addicted, which you will, you can choose to not smoke however you'll begin having cravings. One problem that smokers have when quitting is what to do with their hands because they're used to having their hand hold the cigarette but it's not anymore. You'll be figitty, may have mood swings, changes in your sleep schedule, mild flu-like symptoms and most significantly, cravings. Telling someone you won't have those when you quit your addiction or other withdrawl symptoms is bullshitting yourself and others.

Anyway, this seems to be going in one ear and right out the other then you pack the void with nonsense you convince yourself is correct.