Work Problems

Hi everyone,

I’m feeling really stressed and embarrassed about something that happened at work and I’m not sure how to deal with it.

I’ve been at my job for a few years and I’ve never had major issues before. Yesterday I was already anxious because I thought I was running late. As soon as I arrived, a manager called me into a meeting, which made my anxiety even worse.

In the meeting, he brought up “gossip” that wasn’t actually about me — it was something other people were talking about last year, and I apparently repeated once. I didn’t realise it was still an issue.

But then he brought up something that really upset me: my personal hygiene, which is actually related to an ongoing medical condition. I’ve spoken to doctors about it, and I’ve tried to explain it to a manager before. Hearing it brought up again, especially in that tone, was humiliating.

I felt like I was being singled out even though other people at work do similar or worse things. I cried for most of my shift afterward and felt really embarrassed.

I keep thinking:

– Did they handle this appropriately?

– How do I cope with the anxiety of going back?

– Should I be getting outside help or advice about workplace treatment?

I just felt so ashamed and overwhelmed, and I don’t really know how to process it. Any support or advice would mean a lot.