Traumatic bonding

Traumatic bonding is when someone develops strong emotional ties from a traumatic experience, like a fear of abandonment. It happens when someone is in a situation where they need to rely on someone else to survive or feel safe. For example, if a person was being abused, they might feel like they have to stay in the situation because the abuser is their only source of protection or security. Over time, this person could develop a strong emotional bond with the abuser even though it's unhealthy.