Petition Letter
My name is Oliver Grant and I have been requested to withdraw from Queen??s for the 2023-2024 academic year. This document will help prove why I should be allowed to further my study this year at Queen??s. On December 31st 2022, my life changed. I was sitting at a new years dinner table when I suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline flow through my body. I started to panic, feeling like I was having a heart attack and about to face death. I was 2,000 kilometers from home, and felt terrified beyond belief. I had to rush from the table, as my fight or flight reaction kicked in. I didn't know what was happening. My heart was racing, I was shaking, and I felt like I would suddenly collapse. I called my mom, and she stayed on the phone with me for an hour as I tried to calm down. That was one of the most terrifying nights of my life. The next morning, I realized that I had an extreme panic attack, and it didn't stop there. Ever since getting back from Florida in January of this year, I have struggled with chronic panic attacks and general anxiety disorder. It got worse when I got back to Queen??s after Christmas break. I was too anxious to go to class, and the one time I tried I had a panic attack and had to walk home, and then ultimately drive home to Toronto where I could be with my mother. From the span of January to March, I had the worst experience of my life. Constant worrying, anxiety, and too afraid to leave my room. I then met with my doctor, who first prescribed me Lorazepam. Lorazepam was a strong drug that I could take during a panic attack, and would calm me down. The problem with this ??solution? was that I was having far too many panic attacks for this highly addictive drug. I was then prescribed Sertraline at 50mg for a month. This helped me feel like my normal self. I was able to go to class, leave my room, but it did not leave me with enough time to fill in the hole I dug for myself during my time having panic attacks regularly. Since then, my dose has increased to 100 mg, and I am starting to feel like myself again. I finally feel ready to commit to my academic life and jump back into being at school full time again. This appeal being accepted will allow me to continue my studies at Queen??s, get my diploma, and continue my journey being an adult. I did not anticipate this ever happening to me, and truthfully never expected it. You always think? ??that could never happen to me?, but once it does, it's real.