👉 Workplace harassment can seriously impact mental health—don’t underestimate the emotional distress workplace bullying can cause.
Introduction
One has to accept that workplace bullying is even more of a persistent form of chronic stress that could have a more deep-rooted impact on mental and emotional wellness. In this blog, we will explore the definition, distinctions, and manifestations of workplace bullying, along with elaborating on its impact on one’s mental health.
What is Workplace Bullying?
Workplace bullying manifests in the form of ill-treatment that is repeated and health-harming to one or more individuals. This may encompass verbal abuse, offensive conduct, or even nonverbal behaviours that interfere with work performance. Moreover, The right workplace bullying definition needs to focus on these crucial elements.
Attendant behaviours that illustrate postpartum workplace bullying include:
- Bullying leads to exclusion or social isolation
- Unjustified being blamed for management goals
- Excessive monitoring for no valid reasons
- Micromanagement
- Being called names and belittled
It is not only about sustaining behaviors and procedures, but it is the perspective of someone’s
experience combined with uniformity that creates grievous harm.
The Emotional Impact of Workplace Bullying
Now, let’s get to the heart of the matter: the emotional distress workplace bullying causes. Being bullied at work creates a toxic environment where the target feels powerless, vulnerable, and perpetually stressed. Over time, this can lead to:
1. Chronic Stress
A degree of stress in the workplace is unavoidable. However, bullying causes stress to become chronic and overwhelming. This type of stress does not go away when one leaves the workplace. Instead, it follows them home, disrupts sleep, and slowly erodes emotional strength.
2. Anxiety Disorders
Severely bullied workers develop extreme anxiety. Living life on the edge, anticipating the next attack, requires someone to be in a state of hyperarousal, thus making it difficult to relax and enjoy life.
3. Depression and Hopelessness
Consistent undermining erodes one’s self-worth. The ongoing emotional torture that workplace bullying brings can result in feelings of despair and hopelessness, the hallmark of depression.
4. Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms
Bullying in the workplace does lead to PTSD symptoms. Severe cases of prolonged bullying may yield flashbacks, hypervigilance, emotional numbing, and nightmares, all of which are not very uncommon.
The Detrimental Cycle: Its Impact on Performance
Strangely, workplace bullying tends to worsen when performance is already affected. And performance will be affected:
- Concentration declines
- Increase in absences
- Innovations and creativity are substantially lower
- Increased incidence of mistakes and accidents
Bullies can use this decline as a reason for further treatment that is even more negative, deepening the cycle. In all cases of bullying at work, emotional suffering is not simply an outcome but serves as a source of further violence.
Who is Most Likely to be Targeted?
Almost anyone can be singled out, but some people are more susceptible to this than others. They include:
- Vulnerable high achievers
- Staff with an injury
- Withdrawn individuals who do not tend to strike back
- The recently appointed who do not know how the organization works
- The Other or people belonging to minority categories
Often, bullies choose their victims based on those who will not defend themselves or who are different for any reason.
Bystander Impact: The Collateral Damage
It’s not only the bullied individual experiencing hardship. Bystanders suffer psychologically in different ways, such as:
- Feeling bad about themselves for not stepping in
- Anxiety about becoming the subsequent victim
- Pressure from observing ongoing violence/harassment
- Lack of faith in organizational protection
The terror created by workplace bullying deteriorates team spirit and productivity, resulting in poor outcomes for everyone.
The Legal and Ethical Responsibility of Employers
Employers in some regions have a legal duty to ensure their workplaces are safe. Turning a blind eye to bullying at work may leave companies vulnerable to legal action, high employee attrition, and destruction of corporate image.
An active employer will:
- Formulate policies against bullying
- Educate and train relevant persons
- Set up mechanisms for anonymous reporting
- Act quickly and suitably to the reports
Ethics aside, having policies that promote an organization’s reputation and mitigate workplace harassment clearly epitomizes sound business practice.
Healing from Emotional Distress Caused by Workplace Bullying
Obtain healing by employing multiple methods. Strategically in the following order:
1. Seek Professional Help
Therapists are one of the more helpful methods of softening the long-lasting effects of workplace bullying; they assist greatly. Using techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), EMDR, and attentively checking in with mindfulness-based approaches all yield extremely effective results.
2. Document Everything
Should the bullying persist or you may need to take legal action, having documentation is your best ally. Retain all records with incidents, dates, witnesses and outcomes.
3. Build a Support Network
Reach out to trusted workmates, friends and even peer support groups. The knowledge that one has support can significantly lessen the feeling of alienation that bullying brings.
4. Approach HR or We’re Contacting A Lawyer
If the establishment has a system, do utilize it. However, if you’re met with neglect, think about going for legal counsel. In more complex situations, consulting an Experienced workplace lawyer in San Diego (or elsewhere) can help you understand your rights and the best steps to take. Remember, protecting your mental health is way more important than some toxic employment.
5. Practice Self-Care Religiously
This involves sleep hygiene, working out, journaling and defining personal boundaries. Your body and mind have been under attack—now is the time to heal and recover.
What Can Be Done To Prevent Workplace Bullying
Workplace bullying is something that can be easily prevented. Prevention starts with a change in attitude. Every employer and employee alike should intentionally work towards creating a positive culture.
- Conduct anonymous surveys periodically aimed at evaluating workplace climate
- Train managers on identifying early aggression behaviour in the workplace
- Encourage collaboration instead of competition at work
- Foster openness and responsibility at all levels of a company
As you can see, prevention is not a one-off but a continuous effort.
Real Encounters, Real Outcomes
Let’s take into consideration Maria, a project manager in a tech firm. She worked her hardest yet performed so well that she was omitted from almost all meetings. One of her peers was openly snarky at her job, took her ideas, and mitigated her growth. Eventually, she started getting anxiety attacks and had to, as a result, take medical leave.
Or Derek. For someone open about their diagnosis, Derek received harsh bullying from a superior. He was micromanaged, berated in public, and eventually dismissed with vague reasoning. As a result, he developed PTSD along with an inability to trust any subsequent employers.
These stories surely aren’t the worst out there. But imagine the agony that countless people undergo every day.
Conclusion: The Time To Act Is Now
Workplace bullying isn’t just “part of the job.” It’s a serious issue that can destroy mental health, careers, and lives. The emotional distress workplace bullying causes is too damaging to ignore. Whether you’re an employee, employer, or observer—it’s time to take a stand.
FAQs
What comprises emotional distress stemming from workplace bullying?
Such emotional trauma can manifest itself as anxiety, depression, sleep difficulties, low vitality, and frequent ailments. Changes in behaviour may consist of withdrawal or increased irritability.
How do I go about protecting myself if HR hasn’t been helpful?
Consider gathering all documents and obtaining legal counsel or contacting outside employment advisory services and advocacy groups.
Is workplace bullying considered workplace harassment as well?
Bullying can be a form of harassment, particularly if it involves some of the protected characteristics, such as race or gender. However, bullying does not always satisfy the criteria required to be legally defined as harassment.
Is it possible for bullying in the workplace to result in PTSD?
Absolutely. Sustained exposure to toxic behaviour can result in symptoms resembling PTSD, such as flashbacks, heightened awareness of surroundings, numbed emotional responses, and more.
