Yes, I think it can definitely be familiar to those who grew up in a toxic, abusive or dysfunctional family environment. But then as adults through dating and relationships, ideally we learn much more about what a healthy relationship looks like. If one never had one, then one may never know. But something always should feel "off", even if one has not been exposed to a healthy relationship dynamic. And by "off", I mean, always feeling upset, always feeling low and always feeling put down and treated "less than".

I grew up with a somewhat toxic environment, but I knew through the abusive relationships I personally had that something was drastically WRONG. I saw healthier other relationships around me, not full of drama, fighting, negativity and abuse, and I knew the difference. Then I educated myself on what a healthy relationship consists of and what an unhealthy relationship consists of, and I developed my self esteem on my own.

I honestly think a lot of this boils down to low self esteem issues. People with strong self esteem walk away from abuse. Those with low self esteem remain in the relationship and try to fix the person and "make it work".