Long thought to be a disorder caused by childhood trauma or abuse, 55% of BPD is attributed to genetics and can occur without any prior trauma. It was also thought to be an incurable condition, but in reality it has a favourable course where 50% of sufferers will no longer have this diagnosis in 2 years, even in the absence of treatment. For some individuals, however, BPD can take a more chronic and debilitating course.

There are effective treatment options for BPD that aim to assist with the natural recovery course. While many have heard about dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), there are many evidence-based treatments with equal outcomes to DBT.