KO and
chickadee
Feeling victimized, ostracized, falsely accused, condemned because of something you cannot control (like appearance)....these things can be more difficult to handle than a tragic death of a loved one. The brain turns things over and over in an attempt to make sense of the nonsensical. Mankind has an inherent tendency to inflict horrific harm on one another--history reveals that. Some of us (sociopaths) have a greater likelihood of harboring that tendency, others (perhaps the more truly devout) have those impulses under control, still others (naiive folks like me who are prone toward kindness and benefit-of-the-doubt thinking) are confused by such behaviors and often find themselves a target of such bullies. It can drive you crazy.
I also work with toxic people, and I have seen what their Machiavellian efforts have done to some of the older ladies at work. Mind you, some of these ladies had a strong backbone, yet evidently, were still seen as easy marks and these hard-working folks were ultimately driven out of their jobs. Ladies, it's not a Glass Ceiling, it's a Trap Door.
Personally, no matter how often I tell myself "That's the way some people are...always has been" , I still find this behavior difficult to accept and move past. I think my brain is always trying to fix things. I like
Chickadee, and
Jessian's coping strategies: acquiring a purpose and laughing. Venting is an option that can't be utilized very often. Some things that have helped me or that I have considered: vitamins and supplements (a lab test revealed I was low in VitD), dedicating myself to self-improvement a la chickadee, EMDR (when I feel traumatized), meditation, focusing on my family, and trying to adopt the attitude of a cat:
http://www.raptitude.com/2014/07/not-giving-a-****/. I try to find the humor in difficult situations.
You know that you are more than your job and the workplace is an infinitesimal speck in the universe. There is a better place for you.
Emotional Eating
