I honestly don't know where to start. I was working as a photographer at a studio inside a retail location. I was the only photographer there. Was paid 16hr but was generating about 10K a month in revenue. I was driving 40 miles one way through Atlanta traffic. I worked there for 7 months and made my studio 75K in revenue in that time. Around March which is the start of the slow season corporate said we (the individual photographers at each studio) weren't doing enough to justify the poverty wages we were paid. On top of our daily duties of shooting, editing, printing and selling we were told we were now responsible for all forms of marketing as well. We had to create and maintain social media accounts and reach out to local schools and had to make at least 50 cold calls a day. After being chewed out on a conference call I just got off the phone and went home. I quit on the spot. After years of living paycheck to paycheck and not being able to afford a vacation or even a fun day out with my wife and kids mental health has collapsed. I have ADHD, PTSD, and severe depression. I feel hopeless. I feel I chose the wrong career path. When I was 29 doing what I love and barley scrapping by was do-able. But at 40 I feel defeated. I just don't know what to do anymore.
TLDR: After years of being overworked and underpaid I've burnt-out and mental health has collapsed.