If you spent your childhood walking on eggshells, managing a parent’s moods, or feeling like your family was fundamentally different from everyone else’s, the traits you developed to survive that environment didn’t disappear when you grew up. This article, written by David Lechnyr, LCSW and Certified Gottman Therapist, explains the most common patterns that develop in adults raised in chaotic or emotionally unsafe households, and why recognizing them is the first step toward change.