It should have been a normal Monday when my alarm went off one February morning.

But without warning, I couldn’t get dressed due to shaky hands. I couldn’t apply my make-up as my face was wet with tears. My mind was simultaneously blank and racing at breakneck speed. I was having a panic attack, although I didn’t know it at the time. All I knew was that something was wrong and I couldn’t keep doing my job.

I had been at my company since graduating from university over three years prior. I’d had some ups during my time – a quick promotion, development opportunities and made some life-long friends. However, my role had become increasingly unbearable with managerial responsibilities, unrealistic expectations and an unachievable list of endless tasks that spread me too thin. Cries for help were met with deaf ears or vague promises that ‘things will get better’ because ‘changes were coming’. These changes never materialised.

Things worsened last summer when a colleague sexually assaulted me on a night out. I reported it to my manager and the head of HR, just hoping to get him moved away from the desk opposite mine. I was made to feel like the attack was my fault, with the HR chief asking me: “Have you learned your lesson on who you should be friendly to in future?” The traumatic investigation went on for nearly four months, ending only after I complained about being blamed for the assault. The two members of staff were taken off the case and replaced by an external third party.

“I quit my job with no plan – but it was worth it to save my mental health”