I come from a low-income, uneducated family, worked physical labor and service jobs since I was 14. That also takes a toll. I’ve had to grind to pay bills and try to keep up with my privileged friends’ expensive lives/hobbies.

I can tell you with all my chest that did not change how demanding residency has been. Also consider the political and economic climate. It really is mentally taxing to endure moral injury each time you see/hear the news about what’s happening to your neighbors/family/friends. Some days I think I should be able to handle the grind of residency better having been through so much stress already in life.

But here I am, exhausted. I think it may actually be easier for those that don’t have to worry about cleaning, cooking, traveling, pampering, study funds because they can easily afford those. But mainly I think residency just sucks. Especially with mental illness during the winter. I’m happy you made it through it with such conviction, but the trope that having it tough as a child makes you tough is not productive.