I am sorry to hear about the challenges you face that can make life very difficult for you. It sounds like you are determined to make the best of your situation and not fall into the victim mindset.

The thing is, coping is a far cry from thriving, and living with emotional or physical insecurity (lack of safety) does keep us stuck in a stress mindset. You brought up interesting points about Maslow’s pyramid, but disregarding aspects of that somewhat outdated model, the need for safety and security should not be underestimated.

Best wishes.