Self-help

Mental health injuries

Topics: 
Harassment, PTSD, Mental health injuries, Self-help
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Many whistleblowers experience harassment and other reprisals that threaten their careers and their livelihood. The stresses that these assaults cause are intolerable and often lead to permanent, debilitating psychological injuries, with symptoms similar to post traumatic stress disorder: chronic depression, insomnia, nightmares and flashbacks, and panic attacks. Some whistleblowers are so devasted by their experience that they resort to suicide.

Few whistleblowers are completely unscathed and even those who suffer no reprisals at all often report that the experience was one of the most stressful of their lives – in part because of uncertainty over the outcome and what might go wrong.

Workplace Harassment and Bullying

Topics: 
Harassment, Self-help
Rating: 
4

When whistleblowers find themselves in conflict with their bosses, they may be subjected to many different forms of reprisal.

Occasionally they may be fired abruptly without explanation, but in countries that have labour laws this is rare: the employer is likely to use more subtle methods, making it difficult to fight back or even to prove that reprisals have taken place.

 

Leaking to the media

Topics: 
Self-help, Leaking
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There are two basic ways of blowing the whistle on wrongdoing – through official channels, and by leaking to the media. Employees who see serious misconduct in the workplace need to understand the differences so that they can choose between these two different courses of action.

Employers also need to understand the differences, so that they can develop more intelligent policies towards whistleblowers rather than engaging in destructive 'knee-jerk' reactions when employees raise concerns about possible misconduct.

The Whistleblower's Ordeal

Topics: 
Self-help
Rating: 
4

The typical experience of whistleblowers: how they find themselves compelled to speak out, and the consequences for them – and for the rest of us.

Did you ever wonder about some big scandal: “Why did no-one speak out and reveal the truth about this?” even though hundreds of people must have known what was going on? The reason is simple: this is a very dangerous thing to do, and few people have the courage required.

 
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