I wish I had a hard-and-fast answer for this, but I don't. Like most things involving mental distress, recovery is a process. I don't think the amount of time a person is SI-free should be used as a criteria, because there's so many feelings and emotions and thoughts behind their physical actions. Even if a person is cut free for years, they still might think about cutting every day, plan their wardrobe and activities to cover up scars, and cutting is still very much a part of that person's life, even if he/she hasn't acted on those thoughts in a long time. To contrast that, someone may not have much time cut-free at all (maybe only a few weeks), but they might live their life in a way where cutting doesn't play much of a role. This person would choose their clothing based on weather and events for the day, rather than actively trying to hide cuts and scars. This person would feel ok in situations where old scars could be seen, and cutting is just not something that crosses their mind frequently. I guess the best analogy would be a "dry drunk" compared to a truly sober person who relapses during difficult times.
For me personally, I'm not sure I'll ever be fully "recovered," in the sense that cutting might always be my first reaction to a stressful or overwhelming situation. Even though I usually don't act on those thoughts, it's still my first reaction. Even when I have episodes where I cut, that's usually my signal that something really isn't right with my life, and I'm not happy. So even if I cut, it's my way of knowing something's wrong- and then I try to fix whatever it is. Cutting isn't the automatic cure-all that it once was for me, and I don't usually act on those impulses. I don't know if I'll ever get to the point where cutting doesn't cross my mind, at least occasionally. But it doesn't interfere with the things I want to do in life, like going to the beach, or dating, or wearing certain clothes.
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