A woman shared online how a toxic corporate job shattered her confidence and left her terrified of returning to work, prompting an outpouring of support and advice from fellow professionals.
A woman shared online how a toxic corporate job shattered her confidence and left her terrified of returning to work, prompting an outpouring of support and advice from fellow professionals. The story surfaced in a Reddit post shared on the popular subreddit r/IndianWorkplace, where the woman titled her post, “Starting again feels scary.”
In her post, she revealed that she walked away from her first corporate job nearly seven months ago after enduring an emotionally draining and deeply unhealthy work environment for almost a year and a half.
The role, secured through campus placements shortly after graduation, was supposed to mark the beginning of her professional journey. Instead, she claimed it became a source of relentless stress. According to her, she were subjected to intense micromanagement, with lunch breaks, washroom visits, and working hours allegedly monitored closely, while pressure to stay beyond office hours became routine.
The woman also alleged that a senior colleague made the experience even more difficult by constantly undermining her. She claimed she was frequently called “dumb,” belittled in front of others, and repeatedly told she had little chance of succeeding professionally unless she unquestioningly followed instructions.
Threatening emails, often sent with managers copied in, created a constant fear of making mistakes and leaving her emotionally exhausted.
“It got so bad that I used to cry before leaving for work and again after coming home. Every single day,” she wrote.
She added, “I would pray every morning simply to get through the day.”
The prolonged experience, she said, severely damaged her self-esteem. Already struggling with confidence issues, she eventually reached a point where she abandoned the idea of pursuing a corporate career altogether.
After resigning, the woman stepped away from job hunting for several months, focusing instead on recovering mentally from the ordeal. However, growing financial responsibilities eventually compelled her to re-enter the job market.
Now, after months of uncertainty, she has received two job offers and accepted one. She admitted she is overwhelmed by anxiety, fearing she could end up reliving the same toxic experience.
Several commenters encouraged her not to become emotionally invested in organisations that failed to value employees, suggesting that maintaining professional boundaries was often essential for protecting mental well-being.
Others congratulated her on securing a new role while condemning workplace cultures built on micromanagement, intimidation, and fear. Many argued that fresh graduates should be guided and mentored, not subjected to environments that erode confidence.
A number of users also sought to rebuild her faith in herself, reminding her that harsh criticism from toxic colleagues did not define her abilities or potential. Others reassured her that feeling frightened about starting over after a damaging first job was entirely natural.