*disclaimer: The thoughts in this post are my own opinions expressed in order to engage public thought on the negative effects of bullying and a possible connection to mental illness. They are in no way backed by data, research or study as far as I am aware of but are my personal observations and reflections.
Can bullying bring on mental illness? Trauma does bring about mental disorders like PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) by disrupting a normal rhythm or disturbing a normal life transition, like entering a new school or grade, work atmosphere and the process of moving out of a comfort zone to make a necessary life change. So what about bullying? How could bullying at any stage of life cause a mental illness?
PTSD, mention above has in its name trauma and stress, two components of bullying. The human mind has built in it by God a resiliency that is able to withstand attacks to character and beliefs. Depending of the foundation of the person, attacks chip at the mental status of an individual and weaken it. At the core of humanity is how we all see ourselves against the backdrop of life. If that perspective is damaged, then the door is open for all kinds of negative thoughts and emotions. Imagine the mind as a closet with all kinds of shelving, hooks and drawers. These shelving, hooks and drawers hold personal thoughts and beliefs about oneself, others and the world around us and are put away in a manner that suits the individual.
When a person suffers from bullying it is like the closet is being deconstructed and renovated not by the owner but by a thief, whose only purpose is to remove the valuables in the closet and leave disheveled the things that are of no value to them. Now imagine if the owner’s closet kept getting broken into. Soon the owner would leave the closet in disrepair and move altogether. However, the mind has no place to go other than itself. It looks to fix and make sense of the things that happen to it and the body. It is focused on repair and ease of disruption, if it cannot find it, the mind itself begins to brake down by departmentalizing its fluid thoughts and leaving behind a shell of the former person.
Bullying has brought about suicides, extreme fear and avoidance of areas in life as an effort to elevate pain and the recurrence of stress. In my opinion, the act of bullying helps, if not causes mental illness (in cases of incessant acts upon an individual) if the stress sustained in the mind cannot repair itself, it leaves an individual impaired and unproductive.
We should be aware that bullying takes on different forms and shows up in schools, at places of work, online, and within families therefore leaving almost all avenues untouched thus perpetuating the cycle of mental distress and even possibly mental illness.
thevoiceinsideyourheadblog 
Bullying in many forms, dehumanises the individual being bullied. I know myself how this feels as I’ve come across bullying at different stages of my life! I was bullied at school. I was called names, had my hair pulled and remarks were made about me! I used to cry in a place away from view. I never told my mother or sister. I felt that I was inadequate as a human being! In later years I was bullied by a friend! Who I think just liked the power trip she had over me? She kept commenting on the state of my home, she again made me inadequate as a mother and wife. When at work although I kept my feelings to myself, I held a responsible job, yet as soon as I went through the front door of my house, the inadequency moved back into my mind! I became depressed, I couldn’t function! My late partners friends moved in for the kill, and kept propositioning me for affairs! Which I might add, never did! But that was a type of bullying.
Even now, years later, I sometimes suffer because of this bullying. I don’t like my own company, yet when some one wants to be with me or help me ,I push them away! Insecurity has crept in!
Yet, I want to help people who have been in situations like I have! Yes, sometimes I feel I can’t cope! Yet there are other times I feel strong with all guns blazing and I feel determined to stop bullying, stop the stigma directed at people with mental health issues! I will do whatever it takes to achieve this too!!!
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Thank you for your insightful comment! I have seen the effects of bullying and how it can completely brake people mentally. I believe bullying should be looked at as a potential cause of mental health issues and dealt with on that scale.
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