BPD can affect all areas of the patient's life. Relationships, jobs, education and social activities can all be impacted negatively. Broken marriages, abusive relationships either with or without accompanying violence, lost jobs and self-inflicted injuries are common as are suicide attempts. Impulsive behavior can lead women to excessive promiscuity resulting in unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.
The prognosis of those suffering from BPD depends on the severity of the condition and the willingness of the patient to accept help. For those without other accompanying mental illness, long term therapy can help and the prognosis is good.
The common question asked regarding BPD is whether it is curable. As with any type of personality disorder, symptomatic improvement does not imply a cure. However, the symptoms of the disorder do tend to lessen with time. A person's recovery will be dependent on the severity of the symptoms at the time of commencing treatment. Other factors that affect recovery are, the state of the individual's current relationships, whether there is a history of sexual abuse or not and the kind of treatment the person receives.
People suffering from depression or other emotional disturbances as well as those with lower level of conscientiousness have been found to have a greater chance of relapse. In this case a "relapse" signifies a return of the symptoms of BPD. On the other hand, those having a steady employment record or a good school status after the symptoms subside tend to fare better with a lower risk of relapse.
Because BPD frequently occurs when coupled with other mental illnesses, the prognosis for recovery is poor. Recovery will depend upon how the patient responds to treatment. Some of the complications accompanying BPD are: