The 24-year course of substance use disorders in patients with borderline personality disorder and personality-disordered comparison subjects.

Summary: For over two decades, researchers followed nearly 300 patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) to understand their relationship with drugs and alcohol. The findings offer a mix of hope and caution. The good news is that remission is very common; most patients successfully stop abusing substances for long periods. Furthermore, it is rare for these patients to develop new addictions they didn't have before. However, the road to recovery isn't a straight line. Relapses are fairly common, meaning that while patients can get better, staying better requires ongoing vigilance and support.