Bullied for having a mental illness,fired from my job, now struggling

[Rodeo_clown]

Hi

Im 36 years old and was recently fired from my workplace due to failure of health for depression and anxiety.I was constantly being laughed and mocked by over 100 employees including 4 supervisors.I raised it several times but they wanted it in writing and i didnt want to get people fired.Subsequently i wanted to be moved to a different area of the company,in which HR advised there were no positions available.I ended up loosing my job,and have spent the last 2 years unemployed and sitting at home everyday looking after my 2 year old daughter,while my wife goes to work.I feel like a failure to my family.I dont have the confidence to return to work,and spend most days depressed or anxious about the future.I dont know what to do,i feel alone and just floating through life waiting to get old.I am worried i will bring up my daughter badly due to always being upset and frustrated.It was made even worse by finding out my colleagues were calling me a liar,and telling management i was a liar.I ended up recording 40 mins of hidden conversations about me on my phone in a office,and finding out management wanted me gone due to being a liability and possible cause for suicide in which they wanted no part of.My physologist has said to try other employment but i feel sick thinking about it.I thought of starting my own business as i enjoy selling secondhand stuff on ebay,in which im quiet succesfull,and feel i have a gift for selling.I feel its the only thing im good at,but dont know what to do.I would not wish the past 2 years on my worst enemy,and i sometimes wish it was all just a bad dream.

[Touille]

Hello Rodeo Clown,

Welcome to the forum.

I'm so Sorry to hear that you have suffered so much and treated so badly at your old job.

I was harassed at one job for 18months and eventually I reported it and was unfairly dismissed, I contacted a government department called Equal Opportunity and eventually won compensation as I recorded all the abuse on paper.

I do hope you can gain some self worth after your ordeal, it took me a year to trust people again in my new job, even than there is always some negative people.

Are you taking antidepressants for your anxiety and depression?

I'm 35 and you are only a year older, you have so much ahead of you, you have a lovely daughter and wife who love you, please don't let a bad event in your past control your happiness for your future.

There are many nice people on here who have experienced a lot and are compassionate and give good advice. You can also talk to a counsellor or doctor on here. It really seems like you haven't dealt with the past.

I think you should pursue what you enjoy doing.

Anyway, I hope this message helps you.

Take Care

Touille.

[geoff]

hello Rodeo Clown, this concerns me because you were being bullied at work for having a mental illness, this would only reinforce your illness and make you feel much worse, and lose any confidence you could have had.
You need to report this to Fair Work Commission but before you do try and remember certain events and/or occasions when this happened, by whom and what job at work you could have been delegated to do against your will.
The more you can write down the better chance of compensation, because being bullied is something that shouldn't happen and needs to be eradicated , because what it does is cause depression and lack of social involvement. Geoff.