Struggling with a 'Less-Than' Complex After Leaving a High-Stress Career

I hope you got out of the US, but yeah this isn’t a country that promotes wellbeing at all.

I grew up in the US so modern capitalism says My worth is based on my level of productivity and I had to unlearn that. I had to face my built in ableism. That people with disabilities are no less important or valuable.

😭 hearing those words are SO comfortable! Thank you so much for the new perspective

Well, what I understand from reading your post is that you DID prove that people with bipolar disorder are capable of doing the things that people without a mental illness can do. But you had to prioritize your health over your career. So many "normal" people suffer from stress their whole lives, not listening to their bodies and minds when they tell them to stop, until they get a stroke or a heart attack, or their mental health deteriorates from the built up stress. To me, your decision to move on to something healthier sounds so much more sane than just pushing through until you break again. I think human beings confuse strength with being able to bear the most pain, and that's just not sustainable. We're here to stay alive and enjoy as much as we can, not to bear through suffering until we die. In my opinion, you're the stronger one here for making that decision and sticking to it.