And if their situation changes outside of work, then finding a better paying job can be a necessity regardless of how much they enjoy their current one.

Cut scope

Increase resources

Decrease quality

The reality is that if the people up top have abusive practices, no one below them can fix it. They cave to keep their paycheck or they leave.

During bad times it’s awful, during good times it’s “only a matter of time”.

I wish I knew how I could avoid feeling so helpless. So far I have tried “pretending to not care what happens to me and my career” and “fantasizing unrealistically about freelancing”

Try to leave at a time of your choosing. Try to set some parameters or goals for how/when to do that, such as paying down debt, having a savings cushion or lining up another job.

Control some piece of it to some degree.

Also, I’d tell anyone in a tough work environment to ensure they're keeping their mental and physical health up. I needed PT from all the muscle strains the one place gave me, for instance.

I also drank roasted cacao daily for a good theobromine and caffeine kick! It really did help me feel like “it’ll all be ok” during the worst of it.