The fetishisation of work addiction has a part to play in this. People have a tendency to accept abuse when they think it's "normal". For example, if your parents fought and argued all the time it's natural to think that's normal and find yourself in a similar, toxic relationship and never question it. We keep getting fed this idea that you need to break your back ("grind") to succeed, that working all day and all night is a good thing etc. So people will push themselves much further than they otherwise would.

The people who cared for this person told her to stop, but she kept going because she believed (and this is a direct quote from the still grieving parent) that "becoming a chartered accountant involves years of toil, hardship and sacrifice". But who is telling these lies? The media, who fetishise this stuff, and the people who "made it" who, by the way, inherited their wealth, were a nepotism hire or are just more genetically gifted and/or lucky than you. Everyone will tell you their job is hard, they struggle and they deserve what they have, yet their backs are miraculously intact.

Getting to the position I'm at has involved years of work and study, but hardship and toil? You've got to be kidding. I enjoy what I do. It's not a hardship. I read books and write programs for fun. I would never tell anyone that to succeed in this field they need to lose sleep and sacrifice their health and relationships. That would be abusive. That's how this starts.