I have been cutting since I was ten or eleven so about the same as you I haven't yet to brake the habit.

i started when i was 8 yrs old~i'll be 40 on the 21st of this month

started at 12 and I'm 37

I started cutting when I started to have flash backs of my childhood sexual abuse that was when I was 32. It's very unusual to start so late. However as a child I remember sticking pins in me, burning myself, pulling my hair and biting my fingers. As time went on I managed to stop after my husband died and I had to focus on raising my children alone. That was for 7 years. But as soon as my children became adults the flash backs came back and the cutting started all over again. It's been 6 years now and I cut last right before Easter this year. I am struggling with the temptation again. I pray for God to take away my temptation. When He does it also opens the door to a flood of emotions to follow. I guess that's what they mean when we have to go through the pain to get past it. I know when I cut I'm preventing my healing process. It's not easy and I'm not always successful, but I keep trying and I hope you do too. You are worth being kind to and loved gently. I pray that this will not dominate your life. You are so young and have so much life to experience! God bless you!
Jessica

technically, I just picked at skin at first, but the pain was so releasing and I just kept making myself make it hurt more, then I started actually cutting. This was when I was 13. I stopped after about a month because my Mom was asking questions.. But then I had to start again. The feelings just got so bad. So I started cutting my legs. So all together, I've been cutting almost two years.

I was like 14ish when i started and I'm 17 now and I still struggle with it

i started when i was 12 im 21 now, so 9 years. this is not something that you just stop or grow out of its not a "phase" cutting is a very real addiction, and it has me and wont let go.

Im 24 and have been self harming since I was 12, heading on for 12 years! Im hoping to get some help to stop now for longer than 1 week :) everyone I know who self harm stoppedwithing about 3-4 years especailly when in therapy but I couldnt, hopefully this time will be different.

i started early cutting too, i was doing it for 2-3 years and not on a daily basis, only when it was too much emotionally for me, through cutting likely like the most of self harm persons i did it to relese the emotinal pain, i stopped cutting in my 20ies, how i stopped i dont know, maybe i didnt get addicted
im 40 now and what i see day by day is how ugly these scars look now, i have to many scars on my arm and some faded but still there is those that stayed and wont fade and anyone can see it even now after around 20 years after
i do not know how to help anyone, all i can say is what will be those scars and how it will look after so many years
i hope all of you find something healthier and not to hurt self while through hard time, i care and i feel so sad when i see this

i think i was 13 so 5 years..

Started cutting at age eleven, I'm now seventeen. I know how you feel, sometimes it seems that you'll never stop.

8 years :(

I guess I started late...somewhere between 14 & 15? I'm 26 now.

My self harm started when I was 13 and lasted (in varying degrees of severity) for nearly 11 years.

I have classed myself as a former self harmer for over a year now and the fact I have had a handful of relapses in that year doesn't stop me calling myself a former self harmer.

I am a former self harmer from the moment I made a promise to myself to make the commitment to quit for good. I see it as a mental attitude as much as the physical lack of injuries. In fact, I would say the self belief and commitment to being a former is how I finally managed to stop even though my life is still full of rape triggers and family stress.

I've only been cutting for about 3 years, but I burned my wrists for about 2. So for 5 years all together I've been self harming.