Older cutters?

I started when i was 13 am 35 now and am still doing it unsure if i will ever stop

I started SI in my 40s, so you are never really "too old" to do unhealthy things.

But I think you should look forward to getting better not to the past, we shouldn't be made to feel ashamed of past SI, there was a reason for the things we did (maybe not the best reasons).

I started cutting when I was in my early 30s. I'm 41 now and still do it. Worse yet, I've found that cutting has become less effective for me and started burning myself with a curling iron.

Clearly I am too old for these behaviors, but I have problems with impulse control and lack any reasonable coping mechanisms. 20 years of therapy hasn't helped so much in this particular department.

I think I might be the oldest. I just turned 58 When I was ten, I used to drag my forearms down the looooong length of a cement building near my home. The trick was to NOT remove my arm the entire length of the wall, tearing off the skin until it bled. Then I'd turn and do the other arm. I'd get such a high and sense of pride for my ability to do this the length of the building on both arms. Interestingly enough, no one ever really asked about reason for the "falls" or "bike accidents" I used as an explanation for the cuts and abrashions.

Then I went for years without anything. Of course, my emotional ups and downs were still pretty significant. But I was successful in my career and just substituted workaholicism for SI. Then in my early thirties, when I was terribly stressed, I resorted to hitting my face, head, arms and legs so hard that I'd bruise. This was sufficient to relieve the stress.

Things quieted until I was in my late forties and a very severe depression. This is when I started cutting. It lead to such a depletion in my red blood cells that I had to have several transfusions. I got into therapy and got serious about my recovery. I've been SI free for over eight years. There are times, when the stress level is high, that I'm tempted, but I've hung firm. I do think that we can all learn new coping strategies, but I know for myself that SIing (in any form) is the easiest way for me to deal with my heightened stress level. There is nothing like the rapid relief, but I know it isn't healthy and I work hard to stick to my new, healthier methods.

Your definately not alone. I have been a cutter since I was around 14. I stopped in my 20's and had my 2 kids. I thought my life was complete and I was "too old" to be a cutter. Then things went downhill and I started cutting again a few years ago. I felt more ashamed than I did as a young teenager, but came up with better excuses as to what the cuts were from. I have stopped cutting again (3 months clean). I told my kids about the cutting, reasons why I did, and let them ask questions. My kids are 17 and 15 so they are old enough to understand. Surprisingly, they were very supportive. My daughter has told me that she also felt like cutting at times but changed her mind right before she did. Now she doesnt feel so ashamed that she thought about it. She feels she can come to me with anything now.

I wish you luck and hope you can stop cutting soon. It does feel better than anything else, but that never lasts long. If you ever want to talk, I am here.