The Drama Triangle: Why Growing Up in Abuse Makes You Seek Out Abuse in Adulthood

I read this over at Why Can't the Past Just Die? a blog on abuse recovery I recently came across:

For those of us who have grown up in families where there was abuse, neglect, alcohol/drug addiction, mental illness or any other circumstances that can create the kind of fear that may distort or prevent our ability to be in touch with who we are and how we feel as individuals, it is likely we will have developed with a lack of understanding into what motivates our behavior within our relationships. This is because the authentic-self is undeveloped or has been cast away in order to play a certain role in the family that is for the family’s benefit. Self-hood is lost and replaced by a shell of a person that is manipulated and who manipulates in turn, engaging in a dance that allows a false sense of order, purpose and identity among the dancers. In reality, the end result is nothing short of chaos, and without a clear understanding of how the Drama Triangle works, attempting to escape the snare may be an almost futile effort.
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I think it is very interesting and certainly applies to me and my family. I am going to share this with my family in hopes to spark a discussion about why so many of my siblings struggle or struggled with abuse issues and other forms of chaos in our adult lives.

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