Bullying and Mental Illness
In an earlier blog, Bullying was defined according to www.stopbullying.gov as an “unwanted, aggressive behavior amongst people that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.”
Some people are bullied as a consequence of mental illness. On the other hand, bullying can lead to mental and emotional health issues. A few examples of these include anxiety, self harm and depression.
Take the workplace for example. Often mental illness has no place in the workplace. To some degree, this may be ‘understandable’ from an employer’s perspective, in that lost revenue in sick days and absences can have a non positive impact on business. However, there has to be a fair middle ground.
Those challenged with mental illness can be marginalised or to put quite bluntly, bullied. Yes it is the ‘B’ word!
I remember a time in Chuck’s career whereby a few people senior to him, had somehow got wind of Chuck’s medical history, or had formulated their own conclusions what that history was…especially as health records are confidential in the workplace!
This lead to wrong assumptions, innuendos, and to some extent, a level of bullying, though it was subtly done. Chuck found himself micro managed. He was called to account for nearly every task he undertook. The more attention, (which really was criticism), he received as a result, the more Chuck lost his confidence and his self esteem. Chuck was made to feel embarrassed because with the zoom lenses on him, the slightest error he made was magnified several times over. Had Chuck not been ahead of the game in knowing his rights and consulting the Human Resources department directly, he would have found himself even unfairly dismissed at one point.
The truth of the matter I suspect, was that in their minds, they had a stereotypical view of whatever it is that they had heard concerning Chuck. Perhaps they did not set out to give Chuck a hard time/bully him but stereotypes can drive our actions.
Stereotyping leads to being judgemental and prejudicial towards others. And stereotyping is a dangerous downward slopes. Because stereotypes are built on half truths and incomplete knowledge. Stereotypes can lead to stigma; that distinguishing mark of isolation. And how can bullying often arise? Need I say more?
Thankfully Chuck had a happy ending to this story. But what about those who do not? Only our imagination can answer this question.
How about in other situations in life apart from the workplace? How do we respond to our neighbour who is challenged with mental illness? Refuse to be associated with them? To someone in our congregation? Do we sit on the opposite pew?
To a family member or acquaintance? How about kids in schools? Or on social media?
Is not name calling a form of bullying? How can calling or referring to someone as crazy or ‘schizo’ repeatedly not be a form of bullying? Surely that is not the name on their birth certificate, neither did they introduce themselves as such as a nick or certainly not a pen name?
These are names of shame. And what is shame? Being made to feel worthless? Made to feel you are ‘different’? Are these not the effects of being bullied?
We need to be deliberately mindful of how we treat others. Because bullying can have lasting effects that can go on for years even. A non suicidal person challenged with mental illness, in extreme cases, can be driven over the edge to end their life. How tragic!
The worst thing about being bullied is that sometimes the one on the receiving end does not even realise they are being bullied. Yes. They may think it part of the norm, or that due to their challenges with mental illness, that this is how people should respond to them, it is their fault, and so on and so forth. Sometimes, the way one is bullied can seem so trivial that the recipient may put it down to just being over sensitive or paranoid, or made to feel that way!
However when all is said and done, bullying is never right, never justified. There may be psychological reasons why bullies themselves become one. Yes, bullying is a behaviour that can change something. But bullying must never be encouraged or side-lined, and towards those with mental illness that applies too.
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