In many dysfunctional homes, love is conditional and based on performance. The child learns that being "perfect" is the only way to avoid criticism or chaos.

Most adult children were raised under the unspoken mandate of silence. To maintain the family’s public image, children are taught to repress their reality.

The child enters adulthood with a "false self" designed to keep the peace. Because they never learned to be an individual, they remain psychologically tethered (an "adult child") to the family system, even if they live thousands of miles away. 3. The "Don’t Talk, Don’t Trust, Don’t Feel" Rule