Hi Hen, yes, you're absolutely right - there probably is a connection there.
It doesn't even have to be alcohol (could be abuse, mental illness or combinations of all) - but an alcoholic in the house when you are young does affect you (everyone).
I grew up with this so I know exactly what you mean. When we are smaller we are pretty powerless, we look to our parents to keep us safe and feeling secure. You can't feel secure when there is an alcoholic (or heavy drinker) in the house. My Mother also wasn't a drinker, so I looked to her - but I had to question was she safe from him? Drinkers are erratic. Who will walk in the door, the angry drunk person? The happy drunk person? The sober today person? No idea. It took me many years to get over feeling jumpy when I heard a car door close around dinner time. The household focuses on keeping the drunk person calm and happy. Of course that's not usually the case (there were lots of arguments). Conflict - as in arguing - especially between others, makes me hugely uncomfortable.
So there are a couple of trains of thought here that you become comfortable with that dynamic - atmosphere as a child and keep putting yourself back in it, one way or another, friends - SOs - and it doesn't just have to be an alcoholic, it could be someone abusive, someone who is emotionally unavailable, someone who is passive aggressive, just as examples.
Another train of thought is that you return to the dynamic to try and fix it, something you couldn't do as a child (well and still can't do). Perhaps one or the other, perhaps both, depending on the person.
Regardless, none of this is good for you, of course.
Many here have done a lot of work on that and I'm sure they will share with you their experiences in healing from it. Me personally? By the time I saw my - way of being, I decided it's just not worth it to try to correct lol. I know how I am - I won't let myself get in to those kinds of situations - I'm aware - and that's good enough for me, but you may want to seek therapy for yourself if you are comfortable doing that.