Severe doubt trauma
I have severe chronic pain and in my last job I ended up in hospital and was made redundant, it was my dream job but toxic culture. 2 years later after unemployment I am still in pain but haven’t told my employer and am doing well and in my dream job at the right firm (I’m a director of one of the MBB top 3 management consulting firms). But I am rather young - my Harvard mba etc got me accelerated and into the role. I somehow whenever there is a comment that is not in my mindset, or things get quite or my normal boss isn’t as communicative I automatically think I’m going to get fired. I feel like I have to do something to overcompensate, like I begin drowning in doubt even though I am smashing (and I mean smashing my work), I know I got the comment “you should come into the office more, it’s about optics” but I haven’t shared my chronic illness as getting this job after 2 years of unemployment was my dream. I hate the doubt and feeling of “getting fired” in my mind.
Posted Feb 11, 2026, 10:27 PM UTC