The media is guilty of perpetuating the stigma. For example I like to watch true crime shows that profile murderers such as Snapped and I.D. Sometimes the murderer's psychiatric history is discussed. BPD seems to come up a lot probably because the murders on those shows happen to be motivated by romantic breakups. Another example is the serial murderer Aileen Wuornos. She had BPD and it made the news. The stigma is reinforced because we want to know why people commit horrific acts. Most people who have no idea what BPD probably won't question what they hear.

These are extreme examples that don't reflect the diverse manifestations of a psychiatric disorder. They are a minority.

What is really appalling is the behavior of some clinicians towards BPD clients. They often ostracize them and deny treatment. A BPD in their eyes burns therapists out because they are heavy service users. Perhaps this would change if they actually took time to listen and provide appropriate treatment.