Why Do I Keep Ending Up in Unhealthy Relationships After Growing Up with a Parent Who Abused Substances? Kelsey Thompson, LMFT If you grew up with a parent who struggled with substance abuse, you may have noticed a painful pattern repeating in your adult relationships. You find yourself drawn into connections that don’t feel good—relationships where you’re not truly valued, respected, or safe. And maybe you’ve caught yourself wondering: Why does this keep happening to me? The truth is, as children we adapt to survive. When home feels chaotic, unpredictable, or emotionally unsafe, we develop strategies to get by, such as people-pleasing, caretaking, or learning to ignore our own needs. Those strategies worked when you were young, but the very same patterns can quietly shape how you choose...