A qualitative study of 21 whistleblowers in the UK focusing on the impact of their experiences of whistleblowing on their professional lives and physical and mental health. The majority of participants reported significant negative impact on their careers and there was cumulative effects on mental health throughout the process of whistleblowing. The study also explores the experience of legal processes after whistleblowing. The study includes an exploration of a psychoanalytic perspective on organisational problems and discusses the relevance of this theoretical approach to understanding the dynamics of whistleblowing.