A method to determine a drilling fluid density limit involves obtaining a geomechanical model of a target borehole, generating a depth of damage model of the target borehole to describe a relationship between a drilling fluid pressure and a depth of damage representing a modeled amount of yielded rock surrounding the target borehole, where the modeled amount of the yielded rock is calculated using a stress model according to a pre-determined failure criterion, and calculating, using the depth of damage model and the geomechanical model, the drilling fluid density limit as a function of the subterranean formation depth, where the drilling fluid density limit maintains the depth of damage at a target level for the target borehole, where the drilling fluid density limit corresponds to a depth gradient of the drilling fluid pressure, where the target borehole is drilled based at least on the drilling fluid density limit.