A good word for people who always seem to make bad choices in life and invite constant drama?

A general term for this type of person could be dysfunctional, one of the definitions of which is "deviating from the norms of social behavior in a way regarded as bad". A dysfunctional person doesn't have their life in order, which can manifest in any one (or many) of a variety of ways - making poor financial decisions, an inability to keep a job, or having unhealthy personal relationships are a few examples of dysfunctional behavior. This seems like a good fit as a less colloquial alternative to "hot mess", and is equally non-specific about what, exactly, is going wrong in the person's life.

a muddler OED

A person who creates muddles; a person who works or thinks in a muddled way.

to muddle OED

To bungle or mismanage (an undertaking, etc.); to deal ineptly or incompetently with.

As in:

• A muddler himself, he fell into the most indefensible positions.
• As a muddler, he frequently made poor life choices lived in a constant state of drama and disarray.

A muddler muddles up and bungles all in his life. From the literal sense 'to bathe in mud', 'to make muddy', 'make confused and bewilder', I sense this is akin to the modern day 'hot mess'.