Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Johanne Bénard,

My name is Helena Baues-Wright and I am writing to you to appeal the Faculty¿¿s decision that I must withdraw from Queens for a minimum of one year. Included in my letter, you will find a doctor¿¿s note supporting my claim of extenuating circumstances.

Since May 2016, I have been struggling with an anxiety disorder. In early June of last year, my doctor and I agreed that the antidepressant, Paroxetine (or Paxil), was the best choice for me to temporarily manage my symptoms. At the time, both my doctor and I agreed that a 20 mg dose of Paroxetine was a short-term solution and that, within the year, I would be weened off this medication.

While on Paroxetine, I graduated high school as an Ontario Scholar. During my first term at Queens, while on the medication, I did not experience the same intense symptoms and I was passing and doing relatively well in three of my four courses. However, during the Christmas break, my doctor and I made the decision together that the time was right to go off of the medication. I did not realize the incredibly difficult and long lasting effects of Antidepressant Discontinuation Syndrome that are especially prevalent when going off of Paroxetine. My doctor¿¿s instruction to me was to go through a three week taper. For two weeks I would take a half dose every day and for the remaining week I would take a half dose every other day. She also told me that if I felt any symptoms of anxiety returning, to go back to my regular dosage and try again in about week. In addition, I was also unaware that feelings of anxiety and depression are just two of symptoms associated with Antidepressant Discontinuation Syndrome. Following my physician¿¿s instructions, as soon as my feelings of anxiety returned, I went back to my regular dosage and tried again. Other symptoms that I experienced at this time were extreme vertigo, dizziness, severe insomnia, nausea, headaches/migraines, other sensory disturbances, such as ¿¿brain zaps¿, or electric shock like feelings in the brain and other flu-like symptoms.

At this point, I was back at school for the winter term and my academic performance began to suffer. I was unable to leave my bed for days because the vertigo caused the room to spin. I didn¿¿t go to class for weeks as I was afraid that I was going to throw up in lecture. I didn¿¿t hand in projects because I was too anxious to go to the library to work. All in all, my life as a student was completely on hold while I tried to understand what was happening to me. This condition typically lasts for approximately four weeks if the drug is not reintroduced. With the renewal of the medication, my symptoms lasted from late December until late February and into early March. I only learned what was happening to me when I went home for reading week and did some personal research. During that week home, I fully stopped my dosage of Paroxetine, as I then understood that the symptoms were only reappearing as a result of the dosage tapering schedule I had been put on. I experienced symptoms for about three weeks after that and have not experienced any since. My anxiety has also not reappeared in three months. However, once the symptoms had dissipated, I was left with less than a month to repair the academic damage that had been done during the time I was sick. My biggest mistake in this entire process was not reaching out for help. I should have seen a doctor in Kingston when the symptoms first appeared and I most certainly should have reached out to academic services when I realized that I was in serious trouble with my grades. Even contacting a professor would have been better than doing nothing at all. And I fully understand that in hindsight. At the time, I was so afraid of admitting that I couldn¿¿t cope on my own. I had been dependant on antidepressants and doctors for so long and I wanted to be able to manage my mental health on my own for the first time in nearly a year. I understand now that this was foolish and potentially dangerous. If any symptoms reappeared in the coming years, I would be sure to reach out to a professional, both medically and academically.

My future academic plan, should I be allowed to return to Queens, is to study Global Development, potentially with a minor in history. I would also like to take my DEVS 100 course again, as well as another 100 level history course, to improve my grade. I am really passionate about pursuing an area of academic study, as well as a future career path, that could help the world and allow me to contribute to making the lives of others better. More than anything, I am willing to work hard if I am allowed to return as a full time student. Queens was my dream school from the time I was fifteen years old. There was really no other school that stood out to me as a place where I belonged. While I would absolutely respect and understand if your final decision was to uphold my withdrawal status for a year, I know that I would feel as if this horrible experience got the best of me. I don¿¿t want to let it defeat me and I am willing to work every day next year to prove that I am not the student that my transcript shows. I know that I can do so much better.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration. I appreciate it more than you know.

Helena Baues-Wright