<p>I am currently 60% of the way through the winter quarter at the University of Denver and am contemplating taking a medical leave of absence. </p>
<p><em>(I don’t want to go into the specifics of my OCD, but is it similar to BDD, Body Dysmorphic Disorder)</em>
In the past couple of months my OCD has become intolerable. My thoughts, actions, and daily life are run by my OCD making it impossible to lead a relatively normal life. My OCD causes me a great deal of stress which takes a toll on my body and mind resulting in migraines and body aches. I have a lot of difficulty making it to class and when I do find it almost impossible to concentrate. Homework is a daunting task as well. Surprisingly, I have good grades but I feel as though I haven’t learned anything this entire quarter which defeats the purpose of an education. Also, my energy levels have gotten so low I am afraid that my grades will begin to drop as the quarter goes on. </p>
<p>I don’t think that I have taken advantage of my education and have wasted the amount of money that my parents are paying for it and I’m not sure if I can last the rest of the quarter in this miserable state. </p>
<p>I’ve considered the consequences of taking a medical leave which are extending my graduation date, having three W’s on my transcript, and the amount of regret that I will feel for failing to finish the quarter. But there are also many pros like being able to dedicate time to getting treatment, relief from the stresses of college, and much more.</p>
<p>Do you think, given my situation, that taking a medical leave is the right choice?</p>
<p>Yes. Seriously look into taking a medical leave. Get help. (And when you return to campus, continue getting help.) Speak to your parents frankly about your physical and psychological health so that they understand the extent of your problems. Odds are, they will be concerned, sympathetic and supportive. </p>
<p>Plenty of students take medical leaves and go on to graduate, get good job offers or into good grad schools. You won’t necessarily have to extend your graduation, either: take some summer courses, and you may very well catch up and graduate with your year. </p>
<p>On Tuesday, when staff is back on campus, speak to an advisor; see if you can possibly recoup some of your tuition money. (When my D took a semester’s medical leave because of severe mono, we didn’t get a refund, but the money was applied to the following semester.) See what kind of help is available on campus: who knows, maybe you’ll discover support services that can get you through this quarter. If not, it could time to withdraw for a bit. </p>
<p>Good luck to you – as a mom of two kiddos who faced health issues in college, I can tell you that it’s not impossible to get back on track after such a setback.</p>
<p>Clancy, you definitely should take a medical leave. When you don’t deal with health problems, nothing else goes very well, as you’re finding out. So you have to deal with it. </p>
<p>The consequences of taking a leave may seem dire right now, but they’re really not in the long tun. You’ll get the treatment you need, then get back into school. You’ll graduate, and get on with your life. </p>
<p>katliamom has a lot of good info for you. The only thing I’d add is that medical leave isn’t some unheard-of thing that has never happened to anyone before. Every school has a procedure for handling it. Talk to the registrar on Monday morning, and go home and get yourself well.</p>
<p>So very sorry that you’re going through this obviously difficult period in you life. It’s quite apparent that you’re struggling. Right now, you need to take care of yourself so that you can heal. Please take a leave of absence. School will still be there when you’re strong enough to return. Hugs.</p>
<p>My son had to take a medical leave of absence at the end of his first semester at college. He graduates in May.</p>
<p>I withdrew from grad school classes when I had to deal with a crisis in my personal life. I later went back, took the courses, and completed them. Heck, I withdrew from classes as an undergrad, too; I graduated and no one cares about the withdrawals.</p>
<p>Your health comes first. Please get the treatment you need and take the time you need for it. As aquamarinesea says, school will still be there when you are stronger. Take care of yourself.</p>