Lindsay Lohan Wonders Why People in Hollywood Didn't Protect Her When She Was Young

Lindsay Lohan has had a rough go of it growing up in the public eye ... and as an adult she just can't figure out why none of the grownups in her life stepped in to help her.

In an interview with Vogue Arabia, the 39-year-old actress reflected on the intensity of media scrutiny she faced in the late 1990s and early aughts.

She said, "Now I look back and wonder, 'Why didn't anyone just go and take me out of there, protect me more?' You don't know how to do that yourself when you’re a teenager."

Remember ... Lohan's breakout film, "The Parent Trap," was released in 1998 when she was just 12 years old. In the years that followed, Lohan was painted as an "irresponsible" party girl by studio execs after she was hospitalized for overheating and dehydration while shooting the drama "Georgia Rule." Execs suspected the real reason for her "exhaustion" was due to late-night antics and alcohol use.

Lohan would later do many stints in rehab for addiction issues ... and has had several run-ins with the law -- including DUI arrests and a felony grand theft charge for allegedly stealing a $2,500 necklace from a jewelry store in the Venice neighborhood of L.A.

Recently, she's been able to stay out of trouble. She was in the spotlight last year for the "Freaky Friday" remake, but has otherwise laid low.