Over the past few weeks I’ve had conversations, in person and online, with three women who have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and each has experienced severe bullying and heavy-duty stress at work. If you’re unfamiliar with fibromyalgia, here’s a chance to learn something about it.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic, disabling medical condition marked by widespread pain and fatigue that afflicts women far more often than men. Compared to many other serious maladies, research on fibromyalgia is an early work in progress, but we’re learning a lot about it. According to the Mayo Clinic:
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain in your muscles, ligaments and tendons, as well as fatigue and multiple tender points — places on your body where slight pressure causes pain.
Fibromyalgia occurs in about 2 percent of the population in the United States. Women are much more likely to develop the disorder than are men, and the risk of fibromyalgia increases with age. Fibromyalgia symptoms often begin after a physical or emotional trauma, but in many cases there appears to be no triggering event.
In other words, we’re talking about severe, ongoing pain and the power of a knockout punch.
Gender implications
The gender implications of fibromyalgia are significant. Let’s juxtapose some numbers: If the Mayo Clinic is correct in stating that fibromyalgia will occur in 2 percent of the population, and if studies such as this one suggesting that 9 in 10 sufferers are female are even close to hitting the mark, then we have a hidden epidemic among women.
Bullying connection
The Workplace Bullying Institute recognizes that fibromyalgia can be a consequence of workplace bullying (link here). Research is making the link: For example, a 2008 study led by Canadian researcher Sandy Hershcovis (news coverage, here) found that workplace bullying targets were more likely to develop fibromyalgia. A 2004 study led by Finnish researcher Mika Kivimaki (abstract, here), found that stress at work “seems to be a contributing factor in the development of fibromyalgia.”
Anecdotally, here’s a blog post from a nurse manager who suffers from fibromyalgia and is grasping the link to her experiences of bullying at work:
But, it is affecting my health. She is a bully and she wants me out of the office- end of discussion. How do you deal with people like this? Just this morning, there walks one of her patients right into our office. Do I say anything, like “See, you have patients in here!” No, I did not say a thing! I just turned around and kept working! I think that is why some of us are so sick!
Connections to law reform
The bullying/fibromyalgia connection bolsters the argument for legal reform. When the Healthy Workplace Bill is enacted into law, a diagnosis of fibromyalgia may be sufficient to establish a showing of physical harm in support of a legal claim.
Furthermore, the fibromyalgia/bullying connection relates to the work of two Florida law professors who have been writing on other aspects workplace bullying and the law:
- Professor Susan Harthill of Florida Coastal School of Law has written about possible applications of occupational safety and health law to workplace bullying (abstract, here).
- Professor Kerri Stone of Florida International University College of Law has written about how workplace bullying has discriminatory impact on women, even if on its face it is an “equal opportunity” form of mistreatment (abstract, here).
Sadly, it’s not as if we need to add another disabling condition to the list of those that can result from workplace bullying. Nevertheless, the more we understand the destructive nature of bullying, the stronger our arguments will be to respond to it.
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Note: Both Susan Harthill and Kerri Stone are scheduled to present on a panel about workplace bullying & the law with me, Dr. Gary Namie of the Workplace Bullying Institute, and Prof. Lea Vaughn of the University of Washington Law School at the biennial Congress of the International Academy of Law and Mental Health (link here) next July in Berlin.
Thank you for the time and space you are giving to work place bullying. I really appreciate you.
Mary, I’m glad you find this information helpful. Thank you, David
Thank you for this. I have had mild fibromyalgia since adolescence but have always been able to keep it well under control by staying active (walking, yoga and stretching and weight training). I was in a job where I was severely bullied for a year and a half, and the impact on my physical health was enormous. I found that the things I used to do to avoid a fibro flare began making things worse – in fact, for a year, almost ANY exercise made me feel worse. I have been away from that job for about a year and a half now and am just recently (within the last month) been able to resume my normal exercise routine without debilitating pain.
I’m glad you have printed this article. I have been bullied for 2.5 yrs. and I already suffer from severe anxiety. I have gotten a lot worse in the last 2.5 yrs. mainly with fatique. On a normal day, I would come home from work and fall out, meaning I would sleep from 7pm until 7am. I’m changing my situation now, because I’m able to now. I think bullies are no different than Nazi’s.
I try really hard every day not to want to track my bully down and treat her like a war criminal. She still has the same job, making the big bucks and I’ve been unemployed for almost 2 years.
I realize that my holding on to these memories and feelings allows her to continue to be in control. I am progressing but I obviously have a way to go.
I wish you all the best.
Laurie, thank you for sharing your situation. I hope the improvement continues.
Renee and Mary, you are not alone in feeling that way toward your respective bullies, especially when they continue to go along their merry abusing ways. It is one of the most common consequences of this form of mistreatment.
Like we need more evidence that bullying by employers is harmful to mental and physical health.
Unfortunately, most of the time bad behavior is rewarded in the work place. I always thought I could affect change just by modeling integrity, kindness and a good work ethic. But these are the behaviors that are not valued and therefore not rewarded.
That’s why the whole thing seems so hopeless.
Thank you for addressing this issue. I experienced workplace bullying and my supervisors (the bullies) were aware of my diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Needless to say my condition worsened and I had no recourse. I was told by my union and several attorneys that “being mean” isn’t illegal. After only 3 months of this cruel treatment I had to stop working and I haven’t recovered enough to return (3.5 years now). Another victim of this tactic has since developed fibromyalgia. Workplace bullying is not an acceptable budget cutting strategy and out legal system needs to recognize the costs to society. My employer may have saved some money in the short term, but I receive long term disability, social security and am not earning an income; much more costly than moving a veteran employee off the books.
I think this post does a good job at pointing out the detrimental effects on one’s health that bullying can cause. Most of the time its thought of as a psychological effect, but it can also be physical.
[...] Are you having problem at work because you have this condition? Read a blog that’s interesting. http://newworkplace.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/workplace-bullying-stress-and-fibromyalgia/ [...]
I am facing retaliation from my boss for even asking for accommodations for my fibromyalgia. This article is very helpful, and I will pass it on to the Equal Rights representative who is helping me get my office to give me the accommodations I need. I know she will be interested because she is very passionate about helping those with invisible disabilities, like fibromyalgia. I don’t know how my situation will be resolve, but my manager is taking action against me on insubordination charges because I was fed up with his bullying and disrespect and called him a horrible manager (with good rasons that are too involved to post here). All because I wanted to periodically work from home when the pain is too great and I am having trouble walking. (My commute is 1.75 hours each way into and from D.C.). Thank you for this research. Keep it coming. I suspect there are a lot of us out there facing this challenge.
[...] Another reason given for fibromyalgia diagnosis is workplace bullying. Emotional trauma abounds in the workplace. A recent study conducted by the Workplace Bullying Institute suggests a strong connection between those suffering from workplace bullying and the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. . [...]
Thank you for this fabulous information. Fibromyalgia sufferers everywhere will benefit from your article. I hope that you continue to write good informative articles to help people with fibromyalgia, and I will be back to check often! Thanks!
I was bullied for 2years in a ward by many nurses but one in particular. I took her for harassment and she got away with it despite having my witnesses. I was off for 7 months in pain, more or less everywhere. I got moved into another ward but still have to put up with limitless amounts of stress from a manager. Ive been so ill the past year with nearly every symptom of fibro. The worst being neck pain and chronic fatigue. Life is a joke, people are a joke. Because i respect others i dont say out. Because i need my job for finances i cant leave. Im quiet and a caring person because of these good qualities ive been trampled on by sick bitches. Will they get their day, they better
Thank you so much for highlighting the bullying associated with Fibromyalgia. I, too, was diagnosed with Fibro and Cervical Spinal Stenosis in late 2010 and early 2011. In spite of a stellar career in emergency management and sacrificing my family and myself to serve those in need for 24 years, including orchestrating the logistics response to the WTC and Pentagon, aiding in the OKC recovery of bodies and many, many more, I started several EEOC complaints, but the stress triggered severe flares…I finally contracted with an attorney who is fighting for my rights. My life has been turned upside down in the 1+ years and rather than support, have faced a hostile work environment from team members and management, usually males. Unfortunately, fibro still has a stigma as a “woman’s” psychosomatic disorder, and often treated as such by many men in the work environment. I applaud you, David, for your outstanding work in this area. I am drawing heavily on it in my fight for justice.