I hear repeatedly from people who remain in unhealthy or toxic relationships because they have convinced themselves that this is the best they can do. Not because they are weak, but because their experiences have taught them to lower their expectations and they begin to see respect as something to be earned. Kindness becomes a luxury and boundaries feel selfish, and being mistreated becomes something they believe they have to accept. This is one of the cruelest things difficult experiences can do: they can make you question your own value rather than the behaviour of the person causing the harm. Remember learned patterns can be challenged.