I think the vulnerability actually occurs during the rise, not at the plateau. You suddenly have options available to you that would never have been available b

I think the vulnerability actually occurs during the rise, not at the plateau. You suddenly have options available to you that would never have been available before, but you haven't yet internalized the fact that you cannot pursue many (or any) of these options because it would violate the previous agreements you've made with others and yourself. You haven't lost your sense of entitlement after your hard-won success.