Work related stress

[Lilypuds]

NHS is there to help patients but it is a place where staff are expected to be super human - I have had 3 X mental health breakdowns all related to workload and a bullying culture.

[patliputra]

Work load and bullying culture? Could you explain it in a bit detail.

[Lilypuds in reply to patliputra]

Working at a senior level you are expected to be available to take on more and more work with little recognition or your superior takes the credit.

My peers appear to always respond 'positively' as it "comes with the territory and the cut backs in the NHS'" ..... it is seen as not being committed if you are unavailable or attempt to refuse; therefore, the bullying culture .... Rarely any raised voices but that low level stuff - isolation in a full room/ undermining/ talking over you/ comments about how you dress/ missed out on the coffee run etc etc .

All sounds very trivial and petty but when it is ongoing and persistently chipping away at you it can be overwhelming but impossible to prove.

What makes it worse is that my managers know of my previous stress and depression and it feels like they enjoy the bullying game .... Quote "You are just being sensitive". Cannot Leave.

[Hidden]

Hello Lillypuds

Are you a nurse ??

BOB

[Lilypuds in reply to Hidden]

Yes nursing background but manager now

[Hidden in reply to Lilypuds]

Hello Lily

Yes I can understand where you are coming from with this. It is worse in the private Sector so their is little that can be done with this gun hoe attitude.

I am on various Think Tanks including Mental Health, committees etc and I am picking up on Staff Moral, it is sad that the Government still likes to push health staff and not appreciate what they do. It is better to take staff with you than weaken those who cannot stand up to that type of negativity and fear

Keep a hold

BOB

[Lilypuds]

Thank you BOB, and as a leader myself I agree and see the potential and grow with, and nurture my team; however, leadership and management are polls apart. People are so worried about their jobs that there is a culture of what my dear Dad used to call the lifeboat theory where they will swim with you to the lifeboat to stand upon your head to get in the boat 😕 I have been away from the workplace for a couple months so starting to feel less stressed. My work is feeling no longer my career in a caring industry but now just a job meeting targets in a very competitive big business machine.

[patliputra]

Now I can understand your problems. You are a nice and gentle person as well as very soft spoken if I am right. These virtues of yours has been construed as your weakness. You have to become a little more assertive and show your peers that you are no longer a sorry face. But for this first you have to be very efficient in your job and make everyone feel that you are very much required. It is easy said than done. Please make an effort. Forget your past. Past is past and if anyone reminds you about that please put your foot down and retaliate albeit politely.

[Lilypuds in reply to patliputra]

Thank you x

[patliputra]

You may also try befriending all who try to harass you. Or if it is going beyond a limit ,you can put a complaint for physical or mental torture or harassment.