Perhaps one explanation is that "DID getting better LOOKS like getting worse". To use an analogy, if you have a glass of dirt and pour water in it, it turns to mud. but if you continue to pour water, it will stir things up and look worse and swirly and muddy and awful, but you keep pouring water and eventually it comes clear and all you have is water.
yes? When the system is finally "safe" from abuse and realizes it, it starts breaking down. and then we get stuck... and then people try to help us, but that gets messy. and scares us. but if we keep working at it, one day things will be clear again.
xox