Hi,

I can relate to your situation. I worked in shark tanks where every co-worker was cut throat. It was a horrible situation, and I didn't have what it takes to even defend myself. I couldn't imagine if I had direct reports like you. At the height of my career I had a MBA, excellent references, and was making good money at fortune 500 companies. Then I just cracked under all the pressure. I started keeping pill bottles stashed in my desk and popped hydrocodone all day. A few times I fell asleep at work or went home for lunch and returned 3 hours later after my nap. Then when it came time to provide my sales analysis I became completely manic and typed up crazy jibberish. I lost 2 jobs in 3 years, and the last job fired me for incompetence after 4 months!! Anyway, I thought my life was over. My entire resume and all of my work history was in high pressure employment. I ended up going on disability in 2012. Today, I have nightmares that I have a spreadsheet or PowerPoint presentation due and wake up in a complete panic. I believe that I have mild ptsd from my career. I can't tell you how relieved I feel when I know it was a nightmare and I don't have to go to the office. I barely have any money. Long gone are the days of pedicures, expensive dinners, salon haircuts, massages and travel. But, I'll take happy and poor any day of the week.

My point is that you are very valid in your claims. Work related stress is hush-hush in our society, and almost no employee has a healthy work/life balance. There are definitely damages that mental and physical health can suffer from any kind of stress and work is usually the biggest culprit.