My daughter's boss is forcing her to take anti-depressants

[Rocket-Boy]

The situation regarding office politics is that she worked in an office with another more senior woman. They did not get along. The older woman was constantly on her case. Eventually their boss got involved in their poor working relationship. Because the older woman has 20 years service with the company, she is naturally at an advantage. The boss then decided to move my daughter out of the office and into the warehouse, although the job still requires that she deals with the older, more senior woman.
As a result of all the stress, my daughter had a melt-down at work. She began crying and had to be sent home. Someone mentioned sick leave but no, there was not a problem with my daughter abusing her sick leave.
At round-about that day when my daughter burst into tears and couldn't stop crying, the boss started insisting that she goes for therapy and get a prescription for an anti-depressant. She asked my daughter about this every single day for weeks until my daughter relented because, as she says, she did not have any more excuses and she just wanted peace and to be left alone. The company did/does not pay for the therapy sessions or the medication. The anti-depressant is Lexamil. On the day that my daughter finally went to the doctor and got the script, her boss's attitude made a 180 degree turn-around and she became 'nicer'.

For all the criticism about how my daughter was raised, I take note of that. My daughter has always been an outspoken, witty and feisty kind of person. She loves the work that she's doing and she's studying part-time. It's a culmination of events that led to the melt-down. She is complaining bitterly about the side effects and says that she now feels tired all the time.

That's what I know, for now.

If she went to a doctor and got a script then I dont see a problem with it. It doesnt mean she is depressed though, its probably just the working environment causing her to be so upset.

 

[Rocket-Boy]

This lady, Humberto and Jennifer Aniston and will be in Horrible Bosses 2.

Do you know the OP?
You are making some bold statements if you dont.

 

[ShaunSA]

Do you know the OP?
You are making some bold statements if you dont.

:wtf:

 

[akescpt]

OP your dauhter needs to get off that medication. if the harrassment continues, go to the ccma. this is complete BS.

on a side note: so humberto is female?

 

[copacetic]

That is nuts. The boss needs a good kick in the ****ing genitals. :wtf:

 

[azbob]

Do you know the OP?
You are making some bold statements if you dont.

I saw it on E!Entertainment, take it up with Giuliana Rancic.

 

[Rocket-Boy]

I saw it on E!Entertainment, take it up with Giuliana Rancic.

Cool story bro.

 

[rubytox]

She mentioned Lexamil, which is an SSRI.

@OP
Teach your daughter to stand up for herself.

Do you boss your daughter around?

Not a chance. She will tell me to get knotted.

This situation at work has been ongoing for a while. I did not know the extent of the problem. I do not know my daughter's boss. I reacted to what my daughter had told me and my response to her was that nobody can force her to take medication.
She says that she has applied for other positions and that she does not want to rock the boat at this stage. Her boss is happy to keep the medication in her drawer and to make sure that she swallows a pill everyday. I don't like it one bit but the boss is off her case when she complies by taking the medication.

As a parent I am not happy with the situation because I would never force an adult child to take prescription medication. The fact that a manager nagged her for weeks to get a prescription for an anti-depressant sounds to me like harassment. It's an either / or situation, no matter the angle I choose to look at this. I think it is cheeky of this manager to insist on controlling my daughter's meds. My daughter can be strong-willed, which is why I am VERY surprised that she relented and succumbed to this manager's demands.

 

[copacetic]

How old is your daughter?

 

[rubytox]

25

 

[copacetic]

She should be in charge of her own medication, the fact that her boss is handing her out to her as if she is a five year old is very disturbing.

I understand that it's a difficult situation that your daughter is in, but that doesn't change the fact that it is utterly outrageous and unacceptable thing for her superior to be doing.

To go onto an antidepressant without being assessed by a professional first, is incredibly stupid, not to mention dangerous.

Shocking.

 

[isie]

Wait let me get this straight:
-your daughter had a break down at work
- Her Boss insisted she go on anti depressants.
- Your daughter didn't wants to but finally relented and got a prescription.
- Boss took said prescription and makes sure your daughter takes it everyday.

Okay so this doctor who prescribed the meds was that a GP or a Psychiatrist - I could be wrong but only a Psych can prescribe Anti depressants so I'm assuming she was evaluated? - maybe she needs it but that's another issue
- the boss insisted she go and now holds said medication and makes sure she takes it, is boss taking them him/her self as well? and what does your daughter do on weekends - shouldn't she be taking them 7 days a week.

And as many have asked how old is your daughter? - oh see 25 -
Thought she would be younger, really she needs to get away from that office!

 

[akescpt]

25

you going to have to take a more active role in this situation by the sounds of it. for your daughters sake. get her off the medication ASAP and get her assessed by a pro.

 

[nfbs]

And this is why women prefer working for men. Office politics sucks and it will drain the life out of you.

The older old employee woman sounds like a bitter old cow. Because she is more senior and is more Valuable to the company the boss decides to side with her rather than mediate impartially and this is unfair on the daughter as the older woman will think I Told you so and The daughter will become depressed because of being looked down upon as well as the office gossip being about her. This is common in office politics.

The boss didn't prescribe the medicine a doctor did but the boss insisted on it. If a head doctor prescribed without being needed then that practitioner is also at fault and a complaint can be lain against the doctor with the relevant health body who will investigate it and find out. Prescribing medicine is a big deal and can have side effects so unless it is absolutely needed it would unethical to prescribe it.

By the sounds of it it sounds like the daughter still cries to what happened to her when she talks to you so it's not like the medication is working it just makes the boss feel better.

If daughter didn't abuse sick leave , didn't have problems with other employees but only with employee X then why the need for medication. This is like treating the symptom and not the cause. My guess is the boss is also on anti depressants herself and having other people on it also in the boss's head validates the boss using it and makes the boss feel better about herself and old employee can still think I told you so no one is clashing anymore.

Daughter should look for another job and get all the info ready for a CCMA case because the line has been stepped over.
1. the boss dispensing and adminstrating medicine is wrong if the daughter is in control of herself and can do it herself.
2. A person's medical health is private and if boss not the daughter made this public by telling older employee the fact then the boss is also wrong there. Even if the boss being active in it is wrong as it is private.
3. the medication may not be needed or has adverse effects like daughter having less energy, personality change for the worse etc.
If the above is true I would lodge a complaint with the relevant health body against the doctor i think its is this http://www.hpcsa.co.za/conduct_complaint.php They will investigate and if the findings say the doctor should not have prescribed it you can then use the finding as additional proof in the CCMA case you can lodge against the company
4. If The boss nagged her to get a prescription for weeks then this is wrong. The boss is not a medical practitioner
5. Not sure if the boss is going to force the daughter to renew the prescription but this can be further used as proof in the CCMA case

 

[AfricanTech]

Hello people - we have laws in this country to prevent this kind of thing.

If the boss was unhappy with the mental state of the employer, it is not within her rights to insist that the employee go on medication.

She should be calling in the HR practitioner and then STEP AWAY since she can add no further value.

 

[Looney]

I'm pretty sure you're wrong on this one. A GP is fully qualified to prescribe any medication he needs to according to the person's condition. My sister is a doctor, in fact she has specialised in Radiology, yet she is fully qualified to prescribe any medication to her patients. True, it is not her nor a GP's field, and it is best to leave this sort of thing to a psychiatrist to diagnose and prescribe.

Wait let me get this straight:
-your daughter had a break down at work
- Her Boss insisted she go on anti depressants.
- Your daughter didn't wants to but finally relented and got a prescription.
- Boss took said prescription and makes sure your daughter takes it everyday.

Okay so this doctor who prescribed the meds was that a GP or a Psychiatrist - I could be wrong but only a Psych can prescribe Anti depressants so I'm assuming she was evaluated? - maybe she needs it but that's another issue
- the boss insisted she go and now holds said medication and makes sure she takes it, is boss taking them him/her self as well? and what does your daughter do on weekends - shouldn't she be taking them 7 days a week.

And as many have asked how old is your daughter? - oh see 25 -
Thought she would be younger, really she needs to get away from that office!

 

[copacetic]

GP's can definitely prescribe antidepressants.

They also often do it, far too readily.

 

[RiaX]

GP's can definitely prescribe antidepressants.

They also often do it, far too readily.

indeed however most people arent willing to go to a psychiatrist, the GPs generally understand this so they initiate therapy its well within their right to do so. There is too little information to understand what really happened to allow a GP to prescribe it. Somethings stay in the consultation room and never come out

 

[Pooky]

indeed however most people arent willing to go to a psychiatrist, the GPs generally understand this so they initiate therapy its well within their right to do so. There is too little information to understand what really happened to allow a GP to prescribe it. Somethings stay in the consultation room and never come out

Psychiatrists prescribe often far too readily as well. I don't envy the people who have to deal with the 'depressed' patients etc.

It's fashionable to be depressed.

 

[RiaX]

Psychiatrists prescribe often far too readily as well. I don't envy the people who have to deal with the 'depressed' patients etc.

It's fashionable to be depressed.

Its a pain really though I think people are being unfair towards the doctor. There are people that fake it or force the doctor into a quick "fix" you cant really say that it shouldnt be described. You werent there when the patient opened up and you dont know why the doctor decided to use an anti-depressant. Its up to their discretion grant them that professional courtesy no ?

besides to be honest almost every doctor I know is reluctant to prescribe anti-depressants just because they dont take long to decide an anti-depressant when you say you depressed and it takes 15 seconds to decide a drug that does not mean its often prescribed.

The problem with depression is that its subjective. The dr cant do a physical test that the patient will be willing to go for and pay for. They also dont expect you to lie to them. It takes me about 15 seconds to a couple minutes to recommend a drug to a consulting dr. Also its next to impossible to tell if the patient is genuinely depressed, acutely depressed, chronically depressed and so on but can you as a Dr allow a patient who is feeling depressed perhaps suicidal leave your office with no treatment because society thinks "you prescibe them so easily" ... society doesnt have to deal with the suicide later.

Society isnt every intelligent. People are dumb in groups and who are they to say that a Dr (unless society is a panel of MOs) cannot use the tools available to he/she ?