I feel like I am a shadow of my former self - Me too.

like a vegetable - I liken myself to a mushroom.

How can this happen? - I can go over the history of my own decline in my mind and speculate about the causes of that decline, but speculation is all I have.

Is there really a way out??? - People have recovered and returned to productive lives; such has eluded me. No guarantee exists knowing the answer to "How can this happen?" would yield an answer to "Is there really a way out?"

Idontknow, may you find your way out. More than that, I hope you find a way to embrace your real value regardless of how the rest of the world measures value or productivity.