Petition Letter
Near the end of my Grade 12 academic year, I started to develop unusual anxieties. They were not typical things students stress about, like an exam or a sports tournament final. These were incredibly minor and outright stupid. Despite that, I ignored it and finished my Grade 12 year comfortably, and in great academic standing. However, things started to take an unexpected turn for the worse. During the summer break, my mental problems and anxieties started to manifest and I realized I had a severe case of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). I still thought I could persevere and finish my upcoming first year of university with ease. My parents and relatives were so eager for me to start university; I didn't want to disappoint them and take a gap year to resolve my problems. That turned out to be a major mistake. My first year of Queen's started strong, but I quickly lost the energy and willpower to deal with the OCD. Near the end of the year, I was simply struggling to pass, unlike in Grade 12 where I was aiming for 90's. The following summer was okay but the circumstances became a lot worse in my second year of Queen's. I was completely paralyzed by the mental illness that I was unable to perform any academic work at all. That's why I failed all my courses.
It is difficult to explain the roller-coaster ride of mental agony I experienced in my second year of Queen's. My OCD became so severe that I was unable to focus in class, in my dorm, or in extra-curriculars. I was thinking about all these stupid things which never left my mind so I could focus on my schoolwork. I became very socially isolated as a result which further exacerbated things. I was so nervous about everything that I started to even have difficulty eating. I lost around 20-25 pounds in my second year from my already thin frame.
One month before starting my second year at Queen's, I visited my long-time family doctor, Dr. Lester. I thought I had hyperthyroidism, a health condition with symptoms that I was experiencing. At first glance, the doctor said nothing was wrong with me and dismissed me. Shortly after he retired and I needed to find a new doctor. I met a new doctor in early January 2016, and he performed more rigorous tests like X-Rays and Ultrasound to see if I had some physical ailment that was causing my OCD. My results came in recently and to my surprise, the doctor could not determine what was causing my problem. However, he suggested a new approach to my diet and fitness to help alleviate some of my stress.
I am also currently doing acupuncture on the side, and thankfully my condition is starting to improve. I am still nowhere near my academic potential and there are still many things to be dealt with. Also, I am currently discussing with an academic adviser on developing a plan on where to move forward from now. I plan on meeting more health-care professionals like a psychologist in the future so I can get a better picture of my condition. I am writing this appeal to you so you can drop my courses in the fall term because my results are completely unreflective of my academic skill and potential. I want to be able to bounce back this term and the following years and I really don't want four failed courses on my transcript dragging me down. I hope you consider dropping these courses.
Thanks a lot,
John
It is difficult to explain the roller-coaster ride of mental agony I experienced in my second year of Queen's. My OCD became so severe that I was unable to focus in class, in my dorm, or in extra-curriculars. I was thinking about all these stupid things which never left my mind so I could focus on my schoolwork. I became very socially isolated as a result which further exacerbated things. I was so nervous about everything that I started to even have difficulty eating. I lost around 20-25 pounds in my second year from my already thin frame.
One month before starting my second year at Queen's, I visited my long-time family doctor, Dr. Lester. I thought I had hyperthyroidism, a health condition with symptoms that I was experiencing. At first glance, the doctor said nothing was wrong with me and dismissed me. Shortly after he retired and I needed to find a new doctor. I met a new doctor in early January 2016, and he performed more rigorous tests like X-Rays and Ultrasound to see if I had some physical ailment that was causing my OCD. My results came in recently and to my surprise, the doctor could not determine what was causing my problem. However, he suggested a new approach to my diet and fitness to help alleviate some of my stress.
I am also currently doing acupuncture on the side, and thankfully my condition is starting to improve. I am still nowhere near my academic potential and there are still many things to be dealt with. Also, I am currently discussing with an academic adviser on developing a plan on where to move forward from now. I plan on meeting more health-care professionals like a psychologist in the future so I can get a better picture of my condition. I am writing this appeal to you so you can drop my courses in the fall term because my results are completely unreflective of my academic skill and potential. I want to be able to bounce back this term and the following years and I really don't want four failed courses on my transcript dragging me down. I hope you consider dropping these courses.
Thanks a lot,
John