Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: I am appealing to drop ECON 212, ECON 222, and ECON 241.

During the fall term of 2016, I struggled with mental issues that significantly affected my ability to study at Queen's University. These mental problems originally started in the spring of Grade 12, and still continue today. I had to write an appeal last year because of these issues. The mental problem I'm dealing with is OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). It has taken many different shapes and forms over the three years I've struggled with it. This school year, I had a variety of obsessive compulsive thoughts, but the main compulsive thought that occupied my mind the most had to do with contamination.

This school year, I was living in the John Orr Tower alone, so I had to prepare my own food. There is a cafeteria nearby but it's not possible for me to eat at any of Queen's cafeterias. I saw something that was unhygienic but minor two years ago at one Queen's cafeteria, and that was enough to prevent me from visiting any Queen's cafeteria ever again. There are other places to eat around the Queen's campus, but I can't eat at those places all the time.

Basically, this contamination OCD significantly affected my ability to prepare food. I was worried about the smallest imperfections on an apple, banana, or any kind of food. As a result, I ended up throwing away a lot of food in the garbage, and eating very little. I didn't have a scale with me during the fall term, but I saw myself losing losing large amounts of weight in the mirror. During exam time, I had my most severe anxiety attack ever, in which I was worried for my life. I called an ambulance and they came and took me to the Kingston General hospital. I thought I was having heart problems, but after the various tests at the hospital, I was told there was nothing wrong with my cardiovascular system. The reason I'm mentioning this event is because my weight was measured at the hospital. I was 148 pounds. My height is 6'6. I started the fall term at around 185 pounds. Also, I would like to point out, that the anxiety attack was over something minor, and not exams. I have no clue why I reacted the way I did.

I didn't seek much help during the time I had the contamination OCD in the fall term. Because of not eating enough, I wasn't thinking properly and I made bad decisions. I should have immediately left Queen's University when I noticed I wasn't eating enough. Instead, I thought I could turn things around, but that turned out not to be true.

I have visited my family doctor, an acupuncturist, and a psychologist so far for this OCD. I plan to visit another doctor very soon. Hopefully, he can refer me to a psychiatrist. Right now, I'm not in the best academic standing in the winter term and I might drop my winter courses and write an appeal for them later. Also, I still have the contamination OCD.

And finally, I will provide supporting documentation soon to prove that I have this OCD, and that it affected my ability to study at Queen's. I will try to even see if maybe I can get documentation proving that I was 148 pounds at the hospital.