yoke around {one’s} neck

a heavy and difficult situation or responsibility that someone has to deal with

The idiom "yoke around one's neck" draws from the literal image of a yoke, which is a wooden beam placed across the shoulders of oxen or other draft animals to harness them together for work. Figuratively, it is used to describe a burdensome or oppressive obligation, responsibility, or situation that feels like an onerous weight around one's neck.

He finally realized that he was in a toxic relationship, and he vowed to free himself from that yoke around his neck.
The massive student loan debt felt like a yoke around his neck, impacting his financial freedom.
The demanding job with long hours became a yoke around her neck, affecting her work-life balance.
His addiction to gambling had become a yoke around his neck, leading to severe financial problems.
The weight of caring for her ailing parents had become a yoke around her neck, impacting her personal life.