Are you someone's whipping post, or have you identified individuals as your whipping post when things go wrong. A "whipping post" was a post that people were tied to in order to be whipped as a punishment. Today, the phrase is commonly used to represent a person or object that you blame and treat poorly due to troubling, problematic events.
For example, young children will often blame their parents when they have a bad day--they may lash out at a parent or parent figure because it's easier to blame someone else than to try to figure out what really happened to make it a bad day. People often resort to blame rather than honest analysis in times of trouble simply because it is easier to do that. One reason blame is easier is that in most troubling situations, no one person is at fault, and when you use analysis instead you have to own part of the problem rather than simply blaming another.
Who do you usually want to blame when things go wrong? Who are your whipping posts in life? For me, it is generally the people I trust the most and the people who I know won't leave me if I blame them. Even though I know blame is typically ridiculous, I still resort to it from time to time because for some reason it's a natural instinct.
Who typically blames you when things go wrong and what can you do about that? It's horrible to be blamed thoughtlessly when things go wrong, yet that happens. What can you do? First, know that the person blaming you generally trusts and loves you and that's why they've chosen you as their whipping post. Also know that they likely blame you because of some real issues at play. Perhaps there was a past experience that made you the bad guy in their life--the source of struggle or angst. If that's the case, you may need to use words or actions that undo this image of yourself. If the image is due to a true incident or action, you may need to make amends, and if the issue is due to an untrue situation, you may need to dissect it and bring out the truth. Whatever the situation, know that when you are someone's whipping post, the situation is likely somewhat complex requiring thoughtful, compassionate analysis and resolve.
The worst thing you can do is exasperate the situation by getting angry and perpetuating the struggle. Instead move gently forward to good resolve. Onward.