Workplace Bullying And Its Impact On Mental Health: Know Types, Consequences And Ways To Eliminate it

Have you ever felt people aren't treating you right? This may be a sign of being a victim of bullying. Workplace bullying is referred to the act of undesired aggression or hostile behaviour drawn in by legitimate or observed disproportion of power in professional settings. In simple words, the intentional negative behaviour towards a person causing them mental harm or any form of pain which disrupts the general work pattern is known to be workplace bullying. Here is everything you need to know about work place bullying.

Two forms of bullying

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1. Direct- Direct bullying refers to the cause of discomfort to any individual straightforwardly. It involves pain in physical or verbal form.

2. Indirect- Indirect mode of bullying is explained as intentionally aggressive behaviour causing indirect consequences. This is associated with some types of social bullying.

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Types of bullying- There can be four types of bullying.

1. Verbal

This comprises of inappreciable comments or talks involving insults or inappropriate remarks about a person which is amplified quickly to turn into a verbal form of bullying or abuse. This may start as cussing or swearing, and end up in false behaviour.

2. Cyber

Also known as online bullying, it applies to those deceitful actions which are concerned with digital technology and online media. This indicated behaviour can take place in the forms of inappropriate messages or posts online. This can also happen in the case of professional mails through irrelevant and improper use of online applications.

3. Social

This type of bullying happens a lot of times in different social setups. While you're out in a social gathering you might listen to inappropriate rumours or comments about you. This is also known as relational bullying as it causes adversities in the relationship between people working in professional organizations.

4. Physical

This involves punishing or causing injury to a person physically. It is the most dangerous type which can cause long term impacts on the victims being bullied. It can take place in the form of hitting, punching, using weapons and many more.

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Consequences of bullying

1. Poor mental health

Bullying can be a cause for mental health problems like anxiety or depression. This can also harm one's mental peace by causing harsh effects on the brain and in worst cases, illnesses like PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder). Also, some research now suggests that "bullying may cause physical changes in the brain and increase the chance of mental illness."

2. Feeling of loneliness

It can also disturb how a person feels around themselves and makes them feel lonely. The victims of a bully can suffer from symptoms of being depressed and they eventually suffer from loneliness.

3. Self-destructive behaviour

Most cases of bullying results in the victim causing self-harming behaviour like cutting of wrists and isolating themselves from the people which surround them. This can root suicidal thoughts in a person too.

4. The difficulty is establishing entrustment

Generally, people around you who suffer from bullying, feels lost and find it difficult to build trust in people. A bully can also be affected in this scenario as they think of themselves to be inferior and thus desire to rule over the people who they think are weaker than them. This happens as they are unable to form positive relations with people due to trust issues.

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How to eliminate workplace bullying

1. Address what you're going through

One should develop the practice of addressing their problems for themselves as they are then able to find solutions to solve that problem. People who can do so will start to feel confident about them.

2. Take action

The next step to resolving this issue is taking actions for the problem you are going through. This involves being assertive towards the people who think of you as weak and expressing your feelings discretely.

3. Stop blaming yourself

When you start to blame yourself for how others treat you, you soon tend to be depressed. This behaviour can be eliminated by acknowledging who is wrong rather than putting yourself up for everything.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.