I was doing alright until from the stress I developed schizoaffective disorder. I ended up on disability. Once people know you are mentally ill they don't want you around as an employee and find reasons to get rid of you. HR finds out when a doctor diagnoses you and you get psyche medicine on your health insurance. Then you are seen as a liability. So a lot of people don't seek help for fear they might get fired and not be able to work again.
This has to change in the industry so that mentally ill people get help and support so they can keep their jobs and contribute to the company.
When companies think about disabilities they think about people in wheelchairs, the deaf, the blind but not the mentally ill who have a hidden disability and still need support and accommodation.
I find it hard to believe that your health insurer informed your employer about a prescribed medication. That would be a serious violation of federal law and most insurers are careful about compliance. More likely your employer found out some other way, or fired you for a different reason.
Maybe they found out another way? When I got sick I filed for short-term disability in June 2001. I had doctor's excuse notes, and one of them was from a psychiatrist. I returned in November 2001 and was fired after being back on the job for two weeks. They claimed to have lost my doctor's notes and claimed I did stuff at work during the days I missed. When it went to unemployment the state sided with me as their days conflicted what they claimed, including I was in a hospital for some of the days they claimed I did stuff at work. Someone visited me at the hospital and asked me questions and wrote things down about me. I never knew who they represented. They might have found out by that way.
Anyway since they had the conflicts in the dates, I should have filed a suit with the EEOC. But somehow they knew I was mentally ill and tried to get rid of me because of it. At work I had an episode where I heard two airplanes crashing into the building, so people knew I was hearing things. That could have tipped them off as well.
This has to change in the industry so that mentally ill people get help and support so they can keep their jobs and contribute to the company.
When companies think about disabilities they think about people in wheelchairs, the deaf, the blind but not the mentally ill who have a hidden disability and still need support and accommodation.