Christina Applegate, at a younger age, was attracted to men she felt she had to save. The American actress believes this stems from her difficult childhood, she explains in an interview with People about her biography, “You With the Sad Eyes.”

Applegate grew up in California with a single mother who struggled with addiction. The 54-year-old actress describes her early home life as unstable.

“Single mother, men coming and going, drugs. I saw my mother lying on the floor crying while I wasn’t being cared for.”

She believes this childhood experience influenced her later relationship choices. “My mother always said, ‘I’ve never met a junkie I didn’t like.’ I picked that up from her. I never dated anyone who had a real job.

I was always with broken people I wanted to save. And I always thought I could do it. And you know what? You can’t. I hope people can learn that from me.”

Applegate writes about her past in her upcoming memoir, “You With the Sad Eyes,” which will be released next month. In the book, she also addresses her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, which she announced in 2021.

The Married… with Children actress hopes her experiences can help others recognize similar situations.