How Can Bullying Affect My Mental Health

For many, workplace bullying and harassment are normal, day-to-day problems. Unfortunately, all forms of harassment can have major impacts on your mental health, leading to illnesses such as depression and anxiety, along with various emotional and self-confidence problems.

Because of this, it’s important to address any bullying or harassment issues as soon as they become apparent. Start by speaking with the perpetrator and explaining how their actions are affecting your health. If they won’t listen, take your concerns, along with any evidence and/or witnesses you have, to your employer. Failing action from the people in charge, you should seek legal advice with the aim of building a workplace harassment case.

However, all forms of bullying the workplace can take a significant toll on your mental health. In the rest of this article, we’ve outlined some of the main problems you should be aware of, along with their tell-tale signs and symptoms.

Anxiety

Excessive anxiety is one of the most common mental illnesses caused by bullying. If not treated properly, it can lead to severe disruptions in your daily life, especially with respect to having the confidence to get out and do things.

Fortunately, there are plenty of strategies for overcoming anxiety. Different relaxation exercises – including meditation – have been proven to work. At the same time, just getting outside and spending time alone in nature can work wonders.

Addiction and Substance Abuse

A lot of people turn to alcohol, cigarettes or illegal drugs as a way of dealing with workplace bullying and harassment. Recreational use can quickly turn into abuse and addiction, so it’s crucial to ensure you’re aware of your problems and how to deal with them.

In general, it’s recommended to avoid alcohol and other addictive substances if you’re in a poor mental state. If you do begin to develop dependency issues, make sure you seek professional medical advice as soon as possible.

Depression

One of the worst problems associated with workplace bullying and harassment is depression. Regular bullying can significantly impact a person’s self-worth and self-confidence. Severe depression can develop as a result, especially if the person in question doesn’t have a strong support network around them.

PTSD and Other Traumatic Disorders

Excessive, long-term bullying has been shown to be a major cause of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other traumatic disorder. This can have a huge range of associated mental and physical health effects and can severely disrupt normal daily life.

If you feel that, at any time, you could be developing some sort of traumatic disorder, it’s absolutely essential to see a psychologist as soon as you can. PTSD and similar problems can hang around for years, and getting on top of them early will make the recovery process a lot easier.

It might seem obvious now, but a lot of people don’t realise just how much bullying and workplace harassment can affect their long-term mental health. Above, we’ve outlined just a few of the most common illnesses caused by harassment and bullying. Remember, it’s crucial to get on top of any problems before they lead to mental illness, so speak to your employer as soon as you feel like you’re being bullied and/or harassed.