I need help dealing with a tough situation.
I suspected that I was earning less than more recent hires and told my manager. She disagreed and said my pay was fair. A few months later I talked to a coworker about it who reported me to the manager. My manager admonished me for behavior she deemed as being destructive and like a virus. She later said that my pay was determined to be inequitable and I was due for a pay adjustment, but I would no longer be getting the salary adjustment because I discussed my concerns with a peer. I’ve become sleepless and depressed. How do I cope with this situation given that I don’t want to leave the job. Employer is major public university in the US.