Which traits? I'm curious if they relate to any of the three phenotypes in the article I linked. For myself, as a young child, I was extremely emotionally volatile, overly sensitive, impulsive, tended to attach to/idealize people very rapidly (and was as strongly devastated when they left), and had no boundaries. Basically the same as I am now, but without the defense system and dissociation.

So, if we're talking traits that mesh with BPD traits, I can see viewing the BPD as an intrinsic part of oneself? Maybe the goal is to get oneself down to having those traits in such a way that they do not interfere with one's life to the extent that something must in order to be considered a full-blown PD? Just musing here.

For myself, I've always known, on some strange level, that I would have to undergo something like a Shamanic Death in order to fully become who I'm meant to be, and that's echoed very strongly in what I'm reading now about needing to undergo one more abandonment - the abandonment of my false selves - in order to make my way through this and heal. It's "the way out is through" theory. But... that's me. I've been haunted my entire adolescent and adult life by that screaming voice inside me that lives on despite my many, many attempts to kill it. It's the voice of a terrified, cold, hurt, utterly alone and abandoned child. And it won't stop. It won't go away.

I am very, very fortunate in that I am in a relatively safe situation, living with someone who rarely triggers me anymore. I know that's not the case for everyone.