Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Dr. Jenn Stephenson
Associate Dean (Studies),

I am appealing to drop ENGL 200 (Fall 2018/Winter 2019), HIST 458 (Fall 2018/Winter 2019), HIST 365 (Fall 2018), HIST 442 (Fall 2018), HIST 401 (Winter 2019), HIST 461 (Winter 2019).

My struggle with social anxiety and depression after my first year of university, during which time my family home burnt down. The following school year I experienced great difficulty participating in group seminars and submitting my assignments on time - or at all. I took many measures following that year to ensure my academic success, including a strong support system of family and friends - who frequently checked in, would hold me accountable and provided encouragement or support whenever necessary. I also began taking medication to treat my social anxiety and increase my levels of serotonin. Going into my fifth year of university, without the majority of my friend group, many of whom had graduated that spring, I chose to double the dosage of my anti-anxiety medication in the hope that it would help with my coping skills and strategies. This strategy was effective for me until the end of October, when my twin sister flew to Asia to teach and travel for six months - the longest we had ever gone without seeing each other. Shortly thereafter, my struggle with anxiety became increasingly difficult.

I began regressing as my anxiety became more severe and I began to struggle with class participation. After a professor explicitly called on me to ask me to identify a paper's thesis I had a panic attack and needed to be excused from class. My anxiety about attending that class following the attack was too severe to overcome and I stopped being able to attend. This severe anxiety quickly spread to include the remainder of my classes as well as the majority of basic daily tasks. I could no longer go to the gym, library or grocery store without having panic attacks - my anxiety no longer affected purely social situations but had spread to simple fundamental tasks as well. As my anxiety increased and became more severe so did my depression. I isolated myself from friends, spending most of my time by myself, as I no longer felt joy doing some of my previously favourite tasks. I had extreme difficulty sleeping at night as a result of my overwhelming anxiety. All of my favourite foods now seemed tasteless and I lost my appetite. I often felt lethargic and purposeless - like I had nothing left to live for.

I did not inform my professors or staff, complete any assignments or attend any classes during the winter semester. My ongoing struggle with my mental health had fully taken over my life and extremely limited my day to day activities. This battle was something that I kept to myself; I didn't share with my twin sister, friends, family or professionals, as I was consumed with feelings of guilt, shame and self-hatred that left me feeling alone and helpless. In an effort to reach out for help I began to see a counsellor who listened to how I was feeling and helped me tackle and properly cope with the fears and anxiety that had severely restricted my daily activities. Unfortunately, I could only meet with this counsellor every three weeks at the earliest, due to high demand, but she helped me take several steps towards building a better and stronger mental health.

In an attempt to learn from my past mistakes, I have taken many steps to try to limit the negative effects my struggle with mental health has on my everyday life. After the extreme psychological challenges I faced this school year, I realized that even more drastic measures had to be taken to ensure my happiness, success and overall wellbeing. I have continued to meet with a counsellor throughout the year and plan on continuing to meet with her throughout the summer until I am able to get in to see a therapist who could treat my anxiety and depression and offer a more long-term solution. Furthermore, I have spoken to my counsellor about various inpatient services that are offered at both KGH and Hotel Dieu and after careful consideration I have decided to admit myself to a unit in the beginning weeks of June, after I have settled into my new summer job.

Additionally, I met with an academic advisor who advised me to meet with the Undergraduate Chair of History to discuss if I could count other History lectures I have already taken as credits for these required seminars. At this meeting she also suggested that I ask if I could personally select all three courses that I would be taking each semester, in order to ensure that I am enrolled in courses with a Professor who is willing to work with a student requiring accommodations. I believe that after attending multiple sessions with a therapist, including personalized therapy treatment, admittance to an inpatient service, and additional academic accommodations that I have the necessary steps in place to not only allow me to succeed academically but also enable me to build a strong mental health and successfully deal with any psychological challenges that I may face in the future.