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BPD is a severe and chronic mental illness affecting 2-3% of the population, 11% of the outpatients and 20% of inpatients. One in ten people with the disorder commits suicide, usually due to impulsivity rather than chronic depression. BPD worsens the outcome and complicates the treatment of any co-occurring disorder such as Bipolar Disorder, Substance Abuse or Eating Disorders. BPD, a major public health burden, is a key factor in substance abuse recidivism (67% of SA meet criteria for BPD), domestic violence, (22-35% of DV perpetrators meet criteria for BPD), gambling, eating disorders (40%), shop lifting, sex addiction, AIDS, homelessness and child abuse. Impulsive aggression, a core symptom of BPD, leads a significant number of sufferers, particularly men, into fights, perpetration of domestic violence or road rage and ultimately into forensic rather than mental health settings. Relationships with people with BPD can be extremely chaotic due to their "emotional storms." They are highly sensitive to rejection and, not surprisingly, account for one out of three stalkers. Many are recipients of SSI and/or SSD. Availability of evidence based treatment nationwide remains minimal or non-existent, as are help, support or psycho-education for family members of people with BPD.

Latest research documents that patients with BPD are the most extensive users of Mental Health Services including virtually every mode of psychosocial treatment, more often and in greater amounts than any other diagnostic group. BPD patients have more complicated and impairing symptoms, more enduring distress and disability, more extensive treatment histories, a relatively higher incidence of psychiatric hospitalization and an extensive, if erratic, use of outpatient mental health services than do patients with major depression. They continue to function at lower levels despite receiving greater amounts of treatment than depressed patients. Evidence that these patients receive adequate or appropriate treatment in the community is unavailable. Functional impairment of people with BPD exceeds that of patients with major depressive disorder yet the costs to patients, families and society from BPD are persistently overlooked.