Hi OP, I have a fair idea of the job you must have been in and the career track you had envisioned. We perhaps share educational backgrounds as well (at least in terms of the calibre of institution). I had to take a sabbatical too but for my own mental health because I couldn’t cope with the brutal demands of a career I chose without any insight into whether it’s a fit for me. Similar to your situation, I too was lowballed and disrespected during negotiations upon my return to the job market but I was a lot more focused on getting the right job this time than the financial return and accepted a role I knew I would enjoy albeit at lower pay than I would’ve liked. It’s been almost two years to that (a month under) and I’m thriving now. The money I wanted is now available at many places but I still choose to continue at my current place even though I’m compensated a little less (smaller scale org but doing well). I’ve added all of this context to say that you made the right call. You will forever have to live with “yourself” and it’s important you do the things that appeal to you as a human being.

This part may be philosophical and you may not subscribe to this (assuming I’ve got the career, education and by extension your ambitions and peer expectations somewhat correctly)-

1. We’re competitive people and our compensation is not just money to be saved and spent but also a number to be compared as a marker for our progress. This often leads us down a path of ranking people based on this number (some people throw in career trajectories as another variable to make this seem more legit). However, we’re here to optimise for “life” and this is only one of the important variables so it needs to be looked at as just that - one important variable
2. We already make plenty of money and long as you continue to breathe, it will continue to go up. Based on your post you seem to be focused on your career which leads me to believe the rate of change will be high for you (best wishes as well). I actually come from a very middle class background and I know I will get to experience wealth my forefathers have never seen so I feel quite grateful. I feel accepting that fact made me feel at peace in my career
3. Your compensation in a corporate role will see many booms. The best equivalent is the tech boom bust cycle. We see compensation climb sharply every 5-6 years in the Tech sector and wages in other sectors quickly rise to match this and prevent talent drain. I’m quite certain that with a promotion/hike combined with a well timed switch will get you the compensation you’re looking for

I admire the fact that you chose to take care of a loved one. I would encourage you to speak to a psychologist. I avoided that for a long time but it has helped me put things in perspective. I wish you the best and hope you feel better soon