Maslow's hierarchy, a friend pointed out a few years back, is best considered not merely as a set of essential and nourishing goods and services, but security in those elements. The hand that offers whilst threatening, withdrawing, or threatening is not nurturing but the definition of abuse and trauma.

Living on a knife's edge, at all times, is not tenable.

See:

https://old.reddit.com/r/dredmorbius/comments/2vwfb6/maslows...

https://old.reddit.com/r/dredmorbius/comments/3ey7d1/maslows...