For a long time, I didn’t realize how much my job was draining me. I chalked it up to “just stress,” told myself I was being dramatic, and kept pushing through. But the truth was, I was working in a toxic environment—and it was slowly wrecking my mental health.
The constant pressure, unrealistic expectations, subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) disrespect, and lack of boundaries started to wear me down. I dreaded Mondays. I couldn’t relax on weekends. I second-guessed myself constantly and started to feel like maybe I was the problem.
Therapy was the first place I said it out loud: “I think my job is hurting me.” And just saying it brought an unexpected wave of relief. My therapist didn’t tell me to quit or fix it overnight—she helped me untangle what was happening, how it was affecting me, and why it felt so hard to walk away.
I had tied so much of my identity to being competent, reliable, the one who could handle anything. Admitting that I was struggling felt like failure. And honestly, I felt guilty just thinking about leaving. I didn’t want to let anyone down. I worried about my team, about unfinished work, about what people would say. I had internalized the belief that staying loyal—no matter how bad it got—meant I was strong.
Talking to leadership about my concerns was another level of stress. I practiced the conversations in therapy, over and over. And even then, when I finally spoke up, I was met with defensiveness, minimization, or empty reassurances. It confirmed what I already suspected: my well-being wasn’t really the priority. That was painful, but it was also clarifying.
Therapy helped me separate their reaction from my worth. Just because they didn’t get it didn’t mean I was wrong to speak up or want more. I realized tolerating dysfunction isn’t strength—it’s survival. And I didn’t have to stay in survival mode forever.
We worked on setting boundaries, noticing my burnout symptoms earlier, and rebuilding my sense of worth outside of my job title. I also started to explore what I wanted from work—not just what I could endure.
Eventually, I made the choice to leave. It wasn’t instant or easy, and the guilt lingered. But when I did, I felt like I could breathe again. And for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel small.
If you're stuck in a toxic work environment, you’re not imagining it. You’re not weak. You’re human. Therapy helped me get honest about what was costing me too much—and gave me the clarity and support to choose something better.
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