Anyone else middle-aged (40+) with nothing to show for these bygone decades but survival?

I’ve been white-knuckling it for decades, and I’ve survived…sort of. …If we’re using the term loosely. I haven’t been jailed. Occasionally I even drag a mop around or wash my hair. So, great, I’ve “survived”. And I know people would say that’s something to be proud of, give yourself some grace. These are nice words, and certainly well-meaning, but ultimately they are a platitude.

Because I get on these mental-health focused subreddits and see others who also dealt with trauma, abuse, etc. but THRIVED. These people have Ph.D.s. They’re rich. They make 6-figs. They went to top schools. They own businesses. They’re at the top of their games. They’ve got the corner glass office. They have expertise. They’ve come a long way. They’re doing better than ever. They’ve built a great life. If you lurk this sub regularly you see the comments.

They are trauma THRIVERS. I am merely a trauma SURVIVOR, and the trauma thrivers literally don’t even feel like the same SPECIES of human as I am.

I know that if anyone responds they’ll say comparison is the thief of joy. Yeah, great. 😒 So that’s established. But seriously, what about my trauma and its impact basically halted me from meeting these milestones so many others with similar struggles go on to meet? Fellow middle-aged trauma survivors, do you think about this, and if so, have you found any answers for or within yourself?

(I humbly ask for middle-aged respondents because I am middle-aged and because if you’re still young you’ve got time to right the ship. You very well could wind up 42 and a trauma thriver, you know? That is why I’m looking for people specifically who are already middle-aged but never met the “adult milestones”).