Your mental health impacts all aspects of your college or university studies. That's simply the profound nature of mental health, that it inevitably affects any cognitive or intellectual endeavor, especially one so demanding as higher education studies. If you suffer from depression, anxiety, substance abuse or addictions, eating disorders, or even relationship issues, those or other mental health issues could have a severe impact on your college or university studies and standing. But they may also be grounds to require school accommodations, leniency, or other relief for extenuating circumstances. Retain the Lento Law Firm's premier Student Defense Team if you face college or university issues because of your mental health condition. Call 888.535.3686 or use our contact form now to tell us about your case.

Dramatic Rise in Mental Health Issues

College and university students are not the only ones suffering mental health issues. According to the American Psychological Association, the nation's population faced a profound increase in mental health issues following the pandemic, an increase having long-term effects. The student population, adults aged eighteen to thirty-four, reported the highest incidence of mental health issues at fully fifty percent. Thirty-seven percent of adults report a diagnosed mental health condition. Stress from pandemic losses, the economy, and financial pressures are just a few of the many causes. You are not alone if you are experiencing significant mental health issues, interfering with your college or university studies. College and university officials are both generally aware and specifically aware of student cases of this epidemic of mental health issues. Let our skilled and experienced attorneys help you identify, acquire, and present mental health evidence in defense of your school issues. You may well deserve school accommodation, leniency, and relief.

Mental Health Issues Affecting Higher Education

College and university students are not immune from mental health challenges. While some may think that college students have things relatively easy, compared to working adults who support families, college students also face special stressors that contribute to elevated mental health issues. If anything, college and university students suffer from more, not fewer, mental health issues than the general population. The American Psychiatric Association cites studies showing that at least sixty percent and as many as seventy-three percent of college students report moderate to severe psychological distress from “a range of stressors and challenges, including academic pressure, balancing obligations, social pressures, and more global/societal concerns.” Fully fifty-six percent of students report chronic stress, including feelings of overwhelming pressure, over a long period during college. Acute and chronic stress can cause or exacerbate depression, anxiety, substance abuse or addictions, eating disorders, and even relationship issues, all prevalent on college and university campuses.

School Issues Mental Health Challenges May Cause

College and university stress, and the associated mental health conditions stress and other circumstances can cause, can readily lead to several significant school issues. Our skilled and experienced attorneys can help you with any of the following issues caused by or aggravated mental health issues.

Academic Progression Problems Mental Health Issues Can Cause

Fundamentally, poor mental health can lead to ineffective concentration, attention, memory, and cognitive performance, resulting in poor or failing grades, withdrawal from courses, incomplete courses, and terms off from school. To satisfy federal loan regulations, colleges and universities routinely adopt and enforce satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policies, requiring students to maintain a minimum grade-point average, complete a minimum percentage of credits attempted, and finish the degree program within a maximum period. The University of Georgia's SAP policy is an example. Your mental health issues may have already drawn your cumulative grade-point average near or below the required minimum. If so, you may have already heard from the registrar that you are on SAP probation and facing SAP suspension from federal loan and grant programs. Our attorneys can help with SAP appeals. We can also help with grade appeals.

Academic Misconduct Problems Mental Health Issues Can Cause

Poor mental health, and the lower or failing grades resulting from poor mental health, can also lead to academic misconduct issues. Academic challenges can lead students to take shortcuts, use unauthorized materials or student assistance on assignments and exams, or engage electronic services like ChatGPT, Chegg, and StudyBlue for unauthorized assignment and exam support. Colleges and universities routinely maintain honor codes or equivalent academic honesty policies against plagiarism, research fraud, unauthorized collaboration, and other forms of cheating. The University of Kentucky's Academic Offenses Policy is an example. If you face cheating charges following your struggles with mental health issues, let us help you present a defense that documents those issues and argues for accommodation, leniency, or other special relief.

Behavioral Problems Mental Health Issues Can Cause

Poor mental health at college or university can also contribute to substance abuse, addiction, and related behavioral problems, resulting in school disciplinary charges. Colleges and universities routinely maintain student conduct codes that prohibit or limit the use or possession of alcohol, drugs, tobacco, weapons, and explosives, prohibit class attendance while intoxicated, and punish disorderly conduct and other behaviors related to substance abuse. The University of Florida's Student Code of Conduct is an example. Students may self-medicate with alcohol or illicit drugs in attempts to treat, mask, or alleviate their mental health issues. They may also become addicted to lawful medications prescribed to treat their mental or physical health issues. If you face disciplinary charges related to substance abuse or addiction, we may be able to help you prove a defense for leniency or special relief based on your mental health issues.

Title IX Sexual Misconduct Problems Mental Health Issues Can Affect

Poor mental health may also contribute to relationship issues, especially issues between students who are intimately involved. Colleges and universities maintain Title IX sexual misconduct policies that prohibit sexual assault, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and dating violence. Those policies often extend well beyond those basic Title IX protections to cover so-called sexual exploitation, which the school may vaguely define as unwanted or offensive sexual requests, remarks, or advances. Students can easily run afoul of these vague prohibitions, especially when poor mental health clouds their judgment or leads to substance use and abuse. Let our attorneys help defend you against any such charges, including if grounds exist to argue for leniency or special relief due to your documented mental health issues.

Mental Health Conditions as Defenses to School Issues

Our attorneys may be able to help you raise your mental health issues as a defense to any or all of the above academic progression issues or disciplinary charges. We may find the factual basis, legal authority, and procedural route to invoke your mental health issues in one or more of the following ways for your best disciplinary or academic progression outcome. Don't let mental health issues throw your college or university education off track.

Mental Health Issues Requiring Disability Accommodation

Federal and state disability laws, like the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, may require reasonable accommodations and services relating to qualifying educational disabilities. Qualifying disabilities may include either physical health conditions or mental health conditions. At the college or university level, the onus is on the student, not the institution, to assert and document a qualifying disability. We may be able to help you obtain an evaluation, diagnosis, and documentation, as well as present the documentation for accommodation, services, and related relief from your school issues. College and university officials are generally loath to mishandle a student disability matter. Our attorneys can bring your disability issues to their attention for proper handling.

Mental Health Conditions as Grounds for Special Relief

Your mental health conditions may also be extenuating circumstances for special relief from your school's academic progression or other requirements. Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policies routinely include an appeal process for students who can show a serious illness or injury, death in the immediate family, or similar extenuating circumstances for a failure to meet basic academic standards. SAP appeals are not as simple as writing a brief letter. Our attorneys can help you make the case, assemble the required documentation, and articulate the necessary recovery plan.

Mental Health Conditions as Grounds for Leniency

Even if your college or university does not have a specific policy providing for relief from its academic progress, academic honesty, or behavioral policies, based on mental health issues, your mental health issues may still be grounds for relief from the school issues you face. Disciplinary officials generally have considerable discretion in fitting the punishment to the student's wrong. While a mental health condition may not exonerate you from the wrong, your mental health condition may be a significant mitigating circumstance in any penalty. We may be able to help negotiate or advocate for leniency that preserves your clean academic record and avoids a disciplinary record that could affect your future educational or vocational prospects.

How Our Attorneys Can Help Raise Mental Health Defenses

Fortunately, each of the above academic progression, academic honesty, behavioral conduct, and sexual conduct policies generally include procedural safeguards for the affected student to invoke. You won't just suddenly suffer school suspension or dismissal due to the school issue that your mental health problem caused or exacerbated. Your school must generally provide you with due process of law before it adversely affects your property and liberty interest in your higher education, especially if you attend a public college or university. Private schools generally owe similar protections under common law and contractual obligations. Here are some of the services we may be able to perform to raise your mental health issues as a defense to school problems:

• helping you obtain a referral to a qualified psychiatrist, psychologist, or other mental health professional for diagnosis of your mental health condition causing your school issues;
• helping you obtain from your examining mental health professional a written report of your diagnosis, its effect on your academic studies, and its appropriate accommodation and treatment;
• helping you obtain, evaluate, and answer your school's disciplinary or academic progression charges with your mental health and other exonerating or mitigating evidence and defenses;
• helping you arrange for, attend, and negotiate at informal conciliation or settlement conferences before your matter proceeds to formal disciplinary charges, where we can advocate your mental health issues for relief;
• helping you invoke a formal hearing before an independent decision maker, at which we can help you present your mental health evidence for relief from the charges;
• helping you appeal any adverse decision to a higher authority, where we can again advocate your mental health issues for special relief or leniency related to the charges;
• reaching out to your school's general counsel office or other oversight officials to advocate and negotiate for alternative special relief based on your mental health issues, even if you have already exhausted all other hearings and appeals; and
• seeking court review and relief for any violation of your legal rights, due to the school's overlooking of your mental health condition as a protected disability.

Presenting Mental Health Evidence in Defense of Charges

It can be important to acknowledge that college and university officials generally do not act solely on student assertions of various challenges, including mental health issues. If you are to obtain relief from your school's academic progress policies or student conduct codes based on your mental health issues, then you are likely to need solid documentation of those issues. Our attorneys can help you obtain a referral for diagnosis and obtain the required evaluation report to meet your school's documentation requirements. We have forensic consultants available to us and know how to present your psychological, psychiatric, or other mental health evidence.

Premier Student Defense for Mental Health Issues

If you are a college or university student facing school academic progression or disciplinary issues because of mental health issues, retain the Lento Law Firm's premier Student Defense Team for your best outcome. We have helped hundreds of students nationwide successfully overcome all kinds of issues related to mental health and other circumstances. Call 888.535.3686 or use our contact form now to tell us about your case.

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Student Depression as Mental Health Grounds for Relief from College Issues

If you suffer from depression, especially severe acute or chronic depression, while attempting college or university studies, you are likely to encounter significant school issues. Depression is a mentally debilitating condition that can make any significant cognitive or intellectual effort extraordinarily difficult. College or university studies generally require good mental health. Depression can lead to failing grades, academic progression issues, and misconduct charges. If you face any school issues threatening your enrollment because of your depression and associated mental and physical health issues, retain the Lento Law Firm's premier Student Defense Team to help you address those school issues for your best outcome. Call 888.535.3686 or use our contact form now to tell us about your case.

What Is Depression?

According to the American Psychiatric Association, depression is a common, serious medical illness affecting how you feel, think, and act. Depression brings sadness, loss of interest in usual enjoyable activities, and a variety of emotional and physical problems, decreasing your functional abilities. You may also suffer appetite changes, weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting, sleep disruption, energy loss, fatigue, pacing, handwringing, slowed movements, slowed or slurred speech, feelings of worthlessness and guilt, concentration loss, problems making decisions, problems thinking rationally, and suicidal thoughts. Depression may seem like it's all in one's head. However, individuals suffering from depression report that it is every bit as serious as, and often more debilitating than, serious physical illness or injury. Losing your ability and willingness to think clearly colors everything, putting you at a complete loss, especially in academic studies.

College or University Students and Depression

College and university studies challenge students mentally and emotionally. Nearly all higher education programs require substantial mental capacity and reserves. Many higher education programs require extraordinary mental resources. The mental and emotional challenges of higher education plainly exacerbate student mental health issues. The American Psychiatric Association reports that about two-thirds of college students suffer from moderate to severe psychological distress due not only to academic pressures but also to adjusting to a new environment away from home, balancing school with other obligations, dealing with social pressures, and facing general societal concerns.

More than one-half of all college students complain of chronic stress and overwhelming pressure throughout the course of their studies. Depression among college and university students is currently at higher rates than ever. That stress can easily cause or aggravate depression. The fact that mental health issues are generally first present in an individual's life between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four, right when most students are attending college or university, increases the concern over depression and other mental health issues among students.

The Impact of Depression on College Studies

While college or university studies can cause or exacerbate depression levels, depression can also affect studies, creating a downward spiral. Depression affects energy levels, concentration, attention, reliability, cognitive ability, motivation, and optimism. Depression also slows or impedes cognitive performance. Studies correlate depression with lower grade-point averages and higher dismissal or withdrawal rates. The American College Health Association identifies depression as the fourth most likely mental health issue to affect student academic performance, after stress, anxiety, and sleep disruption. About one out of seven college or university students suffer decreased academic performance due to depression. Co-occurrence of depression with stress, anxiety, sleep disruption, and other conditions and symptoms can further impede academic performance.

Related Impacts of College Student Depression

Don't be surprised if your depression is creating school issues for you. Get our help addressing those issues rather than letting those issues drive you further in a downward spiral. Your depression can affect not only your own studies but the mental health and well-being of those around you, including family members, college roommates, and other friends and acquaintances. Your depression can also affect your relationship with your instructors, mentors, and student peers. Your depression can also affect your long-term prospects and, in that respect, your present or future family members, especially if you fail to graduate and fail to reap the benefits of the college or university education you are pursuing.

School Issues Depression May Cause

Depression and its associated conditions and symptoms can cause serious school issues. Don't think that you can just slog through it if you are already facing significant concerns over your grades, ability to complete assignments, exam performance, social isolation and behaviors, and personal comportment and demeanor. If your school has already commenced or threatened to commence one or more of the following proceedings, then get the help of our skilled and experienced attorneys. Don't go it alone. You have too much riding on the outcome. Our Student Defense Team has the qualifications and experience to help you through your school issues, while also helping you document and manage your depression issues.

Academic Progression Problems Depression Can Cause

The first issue depression may be likely to affect is your academic performance. If, as the above depression symptoms list, you can't sleep well, eat right, think straight, concentrate reasonably, communicate clearly, and maintain reasonable energy to pursue your studies, you aren't likely to succeed in your academic studies. And even if you do manage to struggle through, you aren't likely to achieve the grades, honors, awards, recommendations, and references you need to thrive in your higher education. Colleges and universities maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policies requiring that you maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average, often 2.00 out of 4.00. You must also complete a reasonable percentage of courses attempted and graduate within a reasonable time. For example, the SAP policy at the University of Tennessee. If you face SAP probation, suspension, or dismissal because of your depression, retain us to take your grade appeals and SAP appeal. We may be able to show that your depression qualifies as an extenuating circumstance for grade and SAP relief.

Academic Misconduct Problems Depression Can Cause

Surprising as it may seem, depression can also cause or contribute to academic misconduct issues. Students who fall behind in their academic work have natural temptations to take shortcuts. Those shortcuts may constitute cheating, depending on their instructors' requirements, the school's academic misconduct policy, and the actions the student takes. See, for example, the University of Texas's Academic Misconduct Policy. Using an electronic resource like ChatGPT, Chegg, Course Hero, Cymath, Brainly, or Quizlet is an example. Students can easily run afoul of course requirements when resorting to those tools to complete assignments, improve student work, or strengthen exam results when depressed and without the mental resources to do their own original work unaided. Get our help if you face cheating charges due to shortcuts you took, or misunderstandings you suffered, because of your depression.

Behavioral Problems Depression Can Cause

Depression can also cause or aggravate school behavioral problems. Colleges and universities routinely maintain student conduct codes that state permissible and prohibited behaviors. The University of Nevada's Student Code of Conduct is an example. Common issues surround drug or alcohol possession or use, weapons possession, tobacco use, violence or threats, theft or other damage or destruction of property, and other behaviors from poor or clouded judgment. Depressed students may be especially subject to substance abuse, addiction, intoxication, and disorderly conduct when incorrectly medicated, self-medicated, or untreated for their severe depression. Don't face behavioral disciplinary charges alone. Let us help you get the referrals and consultations necessary to evaluate, diagnose, and treat your depression, and show school disciplinary officials how your depression caused or contributed to your disputed school actions. We may be able to help you win your disciplinary case or avoid serious school sanctions.

Title IX Sexual Misconduct Problems Depression Can Affect

Depression may also affect your relationships with other students, including how you and others conduct any intimate relationship in which you may be involved or interested. Judgment that depression clouds could lead to inappropriate sexual advances, jokes, slurs, requests, or other actions misunderstood and misconstrued as sexually harassing and offensive. Colleges and universities routinely maintain and enforce Title IX sexual misconduct policies, like the Discrimination Complaint Rule at the University of Utah. They must do so to qualify for federal student loan aid. Those policies address not only sexual assault but also domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sexual harassment. Some policies extend protections to reach vaguely defined sexual exploitation. If your depression contributes to misunderstandings in your intimate relationships, you could face Title IX or other sexual misconduct charges. Let us help you defend those charges. A finding of sexual misconduct could result in your school dismissal and have serious collateral consequences on your future education and employment.

Depression as a Defense to School Issues

So, you suffer from depression, and you believe that your depression has contributed to your school issues, whether academic progression, academic misconduct, behavioral misconduct, sexual misconduct, or another issue threatening your enrollment. If these are your circumstances, then you need our skilled and experienced help raising your defenses. Your depression, if properly evaluated, diagnosed, and treated, may help provide you with one or more of the following defenses. We can help you pursue this relief to save your education.

Depression Requiring Disability Accommodation

Federal and state disability laws may require your college or university to treat your depression as a mental health disability, requiring the school's reasonable accommodation. The Americans with Disabilities Act and other federal or state laws, rules, and regulations prohibit disability discrimination for qualifying conditions. The ADA does not list qualifying disabilities. The ADA instead defines disability as a physical or mental impairment substantially limiting a major life activity. Depending on how your depression affects your life, we may be able to assert your depression as a qualifying disability. Colleges and universities generally go to great pains to accommodate student disabilities, knowing their regulatory obligations to do so, enforceable through administrative and court action. Let our attorneys help you evaluate your ADA and other disability law rights to assert your depression as grounds for relief from your school issues.

Depression as Extenuating Circumstances for Special Relief

You have already seen above that your school may well permit us to assert your depression as an extenuating circumstance for relief from your school's satisfactory academic progress (SAP) requirements. An SAP appeal is not simple. If you attempt to just write an undocumented letter, your appeal is likely to fail to meet your school's documentation requirements. Schools also generally require the student to submit an achievable remediation plan. Our attorneys can help you obtain and present the necessary documentation and draft and submit an achievable remediation plan.

Depression as Grounds for Leniency

The school issues you face may fall outside of the disability rights laws and your school's procedures for SAP relief. If so, your depression may still provide grounds for leniency in whatever disciplinary charges you face. Disciplinary officials may have broad discretion to fit any school sanction to the nature and reprehensibility of your wrong. Mitigating circumstances like severe depression may lessen or eliminate the school sanction, depending on our convincing documentation and effective advocacy. Let us help advocate and negotiate for leniency. You may be able to avoid any sanction or reduce the sanction so that it does not interfere with your education or leave a permanent mark on your school record.

Premier Student Defense for Depression Issues

If you are a college or university student facing any school issue threatening your enrollment, whether academic progression or disciplinary issues, because of your moderate to severe depression, then retain the Lento Law Firm's premier Student Defense Team to help you advocate for your best outcome. Our skilled and experienced attorneys have helped hundreds of students nationwide successfully overcome all kinds of issues related to depression, other mental health issues, and other issues in general. Call 888.535.3686 or use our contact form now to tell us about your case.

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Meta Description: Get skilled attorney help if your depression has caused you college or university academic progression or misconduct issues.

Student Anxiety as Mental Health Grounds for Relief from College Issues

Anxiety is a huge issue for college and university students. Anxiety can have such adverse effects on a student's college or university studies that those studies suffer significantly, to the point of threatening the student's enrollment. Anxiety can interfere with thinking, concentration, attention, and academic performance. It can also cause attendance issues, social isolation, sleep disruption, eating disorders, and other physical and emotional effects. If your anxiety is contributing to your school issues threatening your enrollment, you need the skilled and experienced representation of the Lento Law Firm's premier Student Defense Team. Let us help you address your school issues related to your anxiety for your best outcome. Call 888.535.3686 or use our contact form now to tell us about your case.

What Is Anxiety?

According to the Mayo Clinic, anxiety is an unreasonable, exaggerated worry, fear, panic, or terror reaction to everyday situations not ordinarily warranting such a response. Anxiety may include symptoms like nervousness, restlessness, hyperventilation or breathlessness, sense of danger or doom, increased heart rate, sweating, trembling, panic attacks, fatigue, concentration problems, sleep disruption, and gastrointestinal issues. Anxiety disorders can include agoraphobia (fear of crowds), panic disorder, social phobia, and specific phobias triggered by a situation or place. Those who do not suffer from anxiety may mistakenly believe that the sufferer can just ignore it and get over it. However, remedies may require exposure therapy, situation avoidance, or medication. Genetics, environment, trauma, heart disease, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, substance withdrawal, and even certain tumors may cause or contribute to anxiety. Trauma, stress, personality types and disorders, and substance use or abuse may also contribute to anxiety.

College or University Students and Anxiety

Anxiety is a major issue on college and university campuses, not just in the general population. One survey indicates that thirty-seven percent of college students suffer from anxiety as the second-leading mental health issue among students. Those are the highest recorded rates of anxiety among college students. Anxiety appears to be at an all-time high on college campuses. A Harvard Medical School report indicates that common conditions associated with college life, like sleep disruption, alcohol use, and even academic factors like exam and study demands and stresses, can cause or aggravate anxiety among college students. Students may bring their anxiety conditions to college or university life. But if they do, that life may exacerbate their anxiety to levels not previously experienced.

Dealing with College or University Anxiety

The same Harvard Medical School report suggests three general approaches to dealing with college or university anxiety. The first is to approach the anxious situation rather than avoid it. Avoidance behaviors can worsen anxiety. Step-by-step approaches to the point of tolerance can reduce anxiety. Sound self-care is a second approach. If you can, get the sleep and rest you need, the nutrition and hydration your body needs, and the physical activity from which you can benefit. Getting professional help is the third approach. Seek campus clinic resources or off-campus counseling, evaluation, therapy, and medication as circumstances dictate and permit.

The Impact of Depression on College Studies

You may already be managing your anxiety as best you can. Your bigger issue may instead be the problems your anxiety has already caused you with your school. School performance is itself a stressor and potential cause for anxiety. If you are already anxious and fearful about your grades and other academic performance, then your inability to perform to your expectations can contribute to your anxiety. At the same time, your anxiety may already be impeding and reducing your academic performance. Sleeplessness, concentration, memory, other cognitive issues, and social withdrawal can all impact your studies, which can fuel more anxiety in a downward spiral. When anxiety occurs along with depression and other mental health issues, their co-occurrence can accelerate that downward spiral. Don't fall into the anxiety trap. Get our help with school issues so that you can reverse the downward spiral and begin again to draw confidence from your school performance.

Related Impacts of College Student Anxiety

It can help to recognize how your anxiety may be affecting others around you. Your relationships can be a strong support for your mental health while in college or at your university. You may depend on your roommate's support, the support of classmates and school friends, and especially the support of your instructors and school advisors. But if you suffer from severe anxiety, your social phobia, withdrawal, isolation, or your anxious presentation may keep you from benefiting from any of those important relationships. Your anxiety can put off others, especially if they do not understand your mental health condition, and instead attribute your demeanor to carelessness, lack of interest, or lack of discipline or commitment. Beware the related impacts of your anxiety. Make appropriate disclosures, especially to trusted instructors and advisors, so that you continue to get the school support you need while dealing with your anxiety and getting our help managing your school issues.

School Issues Anxiety May Cause

Don't ignore the school issues your anxiety may cause or aggravate. Those school issues may be the source of your anxiety or may fuel it in a downward spiral. If your anxiety has already led to school issues that are threatening your enrollment, then get our help now. Let us help you with the referrals necessary to evaluate, diagnose, treat, and document your anxiety, while proving to school disciplinary officials your anxiety's impact on your school issues. We may be able to help you find the resources you need to address your anxiety better in your school environment while also helping you manage, correct, and overcome your school issues. Consider the following common issues anxiety may cause or aggravate.

Academic Progression Problems Related to Anxiety

Anxiety and its related symptoms can surely contribute to academic progression issues. The first and most important thing to many college or university students is that they succeed in their academic studies, get good grades, and pass the courses that will help them earn their degrees and obtain their educational and vocational goals. If you're not making academic progress, then why are you in school? Yet anxiety and its symptoms may keep you from attending classes, concentrating, and performing to your capability on assignments and exams.

If your academic performance slips too much because of your anxiety, you may even face satisfactory academic progress (SAP) charges. To qualify for federal student loans and aid, your school's registrar must enforce the school's SAP policy, like the one at the University of Minnesota. SAP policies set minimum cumulative GPA requirements, often 2.00 / 4.00. They also set minimum credits completed, often 67%, and maximum time to graduation, often 150% of the scheduled time. If, because of your anxiety, your grades fall below the minimum cumulative GPA, or you fail to complete too many courses, or you withdraw too often from terms and take too few credits to graduate timely, your school may refuse your student loan application or even dismiss you from the school. Let us help you take an SAP appeal under your school's SAP policy, using your anxiety as an extenuating circumstance for SAP relief.

Academic Misconduct Problems from Anxiety

Anxiety could also prove to be a contributing cause to academic misconduct charges. Academic misconduct involves cheating or academic dishonesty of some kind, like using unauthorized materials on an exam, unauthorized collaboration on an assignment, research fraud, or plagiarism. When you fall behind in your studies because of anxiety and its symptoms, or perform far below your capacity on assignments and exams for the same reason, your surprising deficiency may tempt you to use unauthorized resources like Chegg, Brainly, Quizlet, or even an AI tool like ChatGPT, against your professor's instructions. Or you may simply fall into academic misconduct allegations, misunderstanding or overlooking professor instructions, because of inattention and lack of concentration due to your anxiety. Colleges and universities, like the University of Wisconsin, maintain academic integrity policies or honor codes that instructors and other school officials can enforce against students accused of cheating. Our attorneys can help you defend academic misconduct charges arising out of your anxiety.

Behavioral Problems from Anxiety

Anxiety can also contribute to or exacerbate behavioral problems. Your school surely has some form of student conduct code, like the Code of Student Conduct at the University of Louisiana. Student conduct codes prohibit all sorts of student activities, especially those having to do with alcohol or drug use or possession, weapons or explosives possession, tobacco use, violence or threats of violence, vandalism or other property damage or theft, and other crimes and disruptive conduct. While anxiety itself is not at all a sanctionable condition, and instead a mental health issue school officials should recognize and respect, anxiety can contribute to substance abuse and addictions, panic attacks, and other aberrant behavior in which you would never engage if you were of sound mind and emotional condition. Those anxiety reactions may implicate your school's student conduct code, especially if others in the school community experience those reactions as threatening, offensive, or disruptive. We can help you defend behavioral misconduct charges relating to your anxiety by helping you document your anxiety and its impact on your conduct, as well as how you are treating and remediating it to avoid further impacts.

Title IX Sexual Misconduct Problems from Anxiety

Anxiety may also affect your close or intimate relationships with other students in ways that, unfortunately, implicate your school's Title IX sexual misconduct policy. Colleges and universities must maintain and enforce Title IX policies to qualify students for federal loans and student aid. The Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation at the University of Southern California is an example. Title IX policies prohibit not just sexual assault and domestic violence but also stalking, dating violence, and sexual harassment. They also often extend those protections to vague prohibitions against sexual exploitation and sexual insults or offenses. Your social phobias and other anxiety reactions could cause other students to believe that you are discriminating against them based on their sex or sexual orientation, or otherwise violating their protected rights and statuses under your school's sexual misconduct policy. Our attorneys can help you defend sexual misconduct charges arising out of your anxiety and its symptomatology. Don't give in to serious charges that could result in school dismissal or leave a permanent mark on your academic record. Get our help.

Anxiety as a Defense to School Issues

While your anxiety may have caused or contributed to your school issues, our attorneys may, at the same time, be able to use your anxiety as a defense to your school disciplinary charges or other school issues. You have seen above how anxiety could have caused or contributed to academic misconduct, academic progress, sexual misconduct, or behavioral misconduct issues. Our attorneys may be able to help you properly document your anxiety condition and its effect on your school issues, so that disciplinary officials accept those proofs to exonerate you from the charges or to grant you leniency in any sanction. Consider the following examples.

Anxiety Requiring Disability Accommodation

The Americans with Disabilities Act protects you and other college and university students from your school's disability discrimination. Your school must generally reasonably accommodate student disabilities. The ADA does not specifically name anxiety or any other physical or mental health condition as a disability qualifying for protection. However, mental impairments substantially limiting a major life activity do fall within the ADA's disability definition. If your anxiety limits a major life activity, your school may owe you accommodation. We can advocate for your disability rights and potentially relieve you from your school issues.

Anxiety as an Extenuating Circumstance for Special Relief

Your school's SAP policy likely permits you to appeal your academic progress probation, suspension, or dismissal based on any extenuating circumstances you can prove affected your academic progress. Extenuating circumstances generally include major illnesses. We may be able to prove that your anxiety qualifies you for SAP relief. Our attorneys know the necessary documentation and how to write the necessary remediation plan for a winning SAP appeal. Our attorneys may also be able to show your anxiety as a mitigating circumstance for leniency from discipline on other issues.

Premier Student Defense for Anxiety Issues

If you face a school issue threatening your enrollment because of your anxiety and related symptoms, retain the Lento Law Firm's premier Student Defense Team to advocate for your best outcome. We have helped hundreds of students nationwide successfully overcome all kinds of issues related to anxiety, other mental health issues, and other issues in general. Call 888.535.3686 or use our contact form now to tell us about your case.

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Meta Description: Get skilled attorney help if your anxiety has caused you college or university academic progress or misconduct issues.

Student Substance Abuse or Addiction as Grounds for Relief from College Issues

Substance abuse and addiction are significant mental health issues on college and university campuses. Substance abuse and addictions can cause serious school issues, not only affecting course grades, academic standing, and academic progress but also implicating academic, behavioral, and sexual conduct codes. If your substance use, abuse, or addiction has contributed to significant school issues threatening your good school record and continued enrollment, retain the Lento Law Firm's premier Student Defense Team to help you overcome those school issues. We may be able to help you show that your substance abuse or addiction is an extenuating and mitigating circumstance against any school sanction. Call 888.535.3686 or use our contact form now to retain us for your best outcome.

The General Prevalence of Substance Abuse and Addictions

Your school's officials should be quite familiar with the general prevalence of substance use, abuse, and addictions, not only in the student population but also in the general population. Substance abuse and addictions are a national mental health crisis. With the right proof and presentation, authorities generally, and school officials specifically, are increasingly willing to treat substance abuse and addiction as a mental health disease or condition rather than a character flaw and criminal disposition. The National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics reports that over 37 million Americans used illicit substances in the past thirty days, constituting about one out of every seven or eight Americans. Nearly 60 million Americans, or more than 21% of the population, have used illicit drugs in the past year, and fully one-half of the population at least once over their lifetime. A quarter of illicit drug users have a drug or addiction disorder.

College Student Substance Abuse and Addiction

Substance abuse and addiction are special issues on college and university campuses. According to the same National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics report, 39% of illegal drug use is among twenty-five-year-olds, the general college and university-age population. Perhaps it is no surprise that college students may abuse drugs at greater rates than the general population. But if so, then that abuse adversely affects college students' studies. A National Library of Medicine report indicates that illicit drug use by college students depresses their academic performance. Drug use among college students also correlates with an increased risk of both committing and suffering sexual assault. College and university risk factors increasing substance abuse include fraternity and sorority life, peer pressure, and academic pressures, according to the same National Library of Medicine study. Financial constraints, school oversight, and disciplinary involvement can discourage or frustrate student efforts to obtain and pay for substance abuse and addiction treatment. Substance abuse and addictions certainly present special challenges for college and university students. Get our help managing your school disciplinary issues.

Dealing with College Substance Abuse and Addiction

The same National Library of Medicine report includes screening protocols and treatment recommendations for each main form of substance abuse on college campuses. Although you may not have the financial means for expensive treatment, and you may rightly fear school disciplinary involvement, many schools provide basic substance abuse screenings, programs, and services at no cost or low cost. You may find on-campus or adjacent programs to help with detoxification (withdrawal) symptoms, motivational interviewing, group counseling, and monitoring of academic performance with some adjustments or even accommodations for your condition. Don't give in to your substance abuse or addiction. Seek available help. Our attorneys can help you identify resources.

The Impact of Substance Abuse on College Studies

The above National Library of Medicine report also indicates the typical academic impacts of the main substances college and university students abuse on campus. Some students use caffeine or nicotine and abuse prescription or illicit stimulants with the belief that they are enhancing their concentration, attention, and energy for academic studies. If stimulants provide any gain, those gains may be very short-term and are generally severely outweighed by their adverse effects. The studies show that “students who regularly use substances are more likely to have lower GPAs, spend fewer hours studying, miss significantly more class time, and fail to graduate or to be unemployed post-graduation.” Binge drinking among students is a risk factor for illicit drug use. Heavy cannabis use can affect memory, learning, and academic and health outcomes. Opioid use correlates with low GPA. Lowered academic performance increases student stress, which can increase substance use and abuse, leading to addiction. Reverse your downward spiral. Get our help with your school disciplinary and academic progression issues while addressing your substance abuse and addiction problem.

Related Impacts of College Student Substance Abuse

Your substance abuse and addiction issues may have a broader effect than you realize, beyond your basic academic capability and performance. Recognizing and accounting for all the impacts may help you commit to the right steps for recovery, including getting our help with your school progression and disciplinary issues. Your substance abuse can affect your relationships with your college or university roommate, classmates, and friends, leading to your increased isolation and lack of social engagement and support. It can affect how your professors, instructors, and advisors treat you, including their willingness and ability to provide you with the guidance, recommendations, references, and other support you need to advance. It can affect your family and mentor relationships, as well as your scholarships, grants, and awards. Account for all these corollary impacts. Take stock of your substance abuse and addiction, get recovery assistance, and get our help with your school issues.

School Issues Substance Abuse and Addiction May Cause

The above personal, social, and academic impacts of substance abuse and addiction can contribute to specific school progression, misconduct, and disciplinary issues. Our attorneys have the skills and experience to help you handle those issues for your best outcome. With proper diagnosis, treatment, recovery plans, and documentation, we may be able to turn your substance abuse and addiction issues into a reason for your college or university officials to grant you a reprieve, leniency, and relief from your school issues. Consider the following specific school issues substance abuse and addictions can contribute to or cause.

Academic Progression Issues Related to Substance Abuse

Substance abuse and addictions can certainly lead to academic progression issues. Your lowered grade-point average, attendance issues, course incompletes, course withdrawals, lower course load, and terms off can lead to notice from your school that you are not meeting its academic minimums. Every school receiving federal loan proceeds and grants for qualifying students must maintain a satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policy. The SAP policy at the University of Virginia is an example, requiring a 2.00 / 4.00 cumulative GPA, completion of two-thirds of credits attempted, and graduation within 150% of the scheduled time. Those standards are typical of many other colleges and universities. Students failing to meet those standards may face loss of their federal financial support and face school dismissal. Fortunately, most schools offer SAP appeal procedures that our attorneys can help you invoke to show that your substance abuse and addiction issues are extenuating circumstances that you are addressing and correcting with an achievable recovery plan.

Academic Misconduct Issues Related to Substance Abuse

Substance abuse and addictions can also lead to academic misconduct issues. Colleges and universities maintain academic integrity policies or honor codes, like the University of Missouri's Academic Dishonesty Policy. Those codes require honesty and integrity in your schoolwork, while prohibiting many forms of cheating like unauthorized collaboration on assignments, unauthorized use of materials during exams, research fraud, and plagiarism. You may have been perfectly capable of completing your studies without any shortcuts. But your substance abuse and addiction issues may have decreased your capability and performance, and clouded your better judgment, to the point that cheating becomes an attractive option. Students under extreme study pressure may resort to the unauthorized use of electronic tools and resources like Brainly, Cymath, Chegg, StudyBlue, Quizlet, ChatGPT, and other AI tools. Instructors and exam administrators are increasingly sophisticated in using tools to detect such cheating. If you face academic misconduct charges, get our help. Minimize your risk of getting kicked out of school or suffering other crippling discipline on your academic record.

Behavioral Issues from Substance Abuse and Addiction

Substance abuse and addiction can also lead to behavioral misconduct and disciplinary charges under your school's student code of conduct. Colleges and universities maintain elaborate student conduct codes, like the one at the University of Wyoming. These codes routinely prohibit students from possessing, using, and distributing illegal drugs. In many cases, they also strictly limit or even prohibit alcohol possession and use on campus, and use of tobacco and vaping products. Substance abuse and addiction can also lead to class or clinic attendance while under the influence, which is another common prohibition of school conduct codes. Substance abuse and addiction may also contribute to theft or property damage, violence and threats of violence, and other disruptive behaviors your school's student conduct code prohibits. Our attorneys have the skills and experience to help you defend these disciplinary charges. We may be able to use your substance abuse and addiction, properly diagnosed and addressed under a recovery plan, to relieve you from school dismissal, suspension, or other severe sanctions.

Title IX Sexual Misconduct Issues Related to Substance Abuse

As the above National Library of Medicine report indicates, substance abuse and addiction increase the likelihood that a student will commit sexual misconduct or be subject to sexual assault. Substance abuse can disinhibit restraints. Under the influence, you may engage in lewd or aggressive sexual behaviors you would never otherwise consider. Acts of unwanted sexual advances, sexual contact, and even sexual jokes, slurs, and innuendo can lead to disciplinary charges. Colleges and universities must maintain, publish, and enforce Title IX sexual misconduct policies, to qualify for federal funding. The Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Policy at the University of Montana is an example. Like other Title IX policies, it prohibits not only sexual assault and domestic violence but also dating violence, stalking, and sexual harassment. These policies often extend protections beyond Title IX requirements to include prohibitions against vaguely defined conduct like sexual exploitation. Schools, employers, licensing bodies, mentors, and others take sexual misconduct seriously. Don't let sexual misconduct sanctions ruin your school record. Get our help defending Title IX charges. We may be able to use your substance abuse and addiction as grounds for relief, with proper documentation and a recovery plan.

Substance Abuse as a Defense to School Issues

Attitudes toward college or university substance abuse and, in particular, toward addiction among students have shifted from condemning the student as a wrongdoer of bad character toward treating the student as having a medical and behavioral issue worthy of intervention and treatment. With our help documenting your condition, its impact on your studies, and your commitment to your recovery plan, this shift in attitudes can work in your favor when you face academic progression or academic or behavioral misconduct issues. Consider the following approaches we may be able to help you take to overcome your school issues.

Addiction Requiring Disability Accommodation

Colleges and universities are well aware of their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other state and federal laws, rules, and regulations not to discriminate against you based on a qualifying disability. The ADA doesn't specifically list substance abuse, addiction, or other qualifying disabilities. However, its general definition of a disability as a physical or mental impairment substantially limiting a major life activity may, in some cases, extend to addiction or its effects. Schools must reasonably accommodate qualifying student disabilities. Accommodations may include schedule adjustments, format adjustments, and other relief. Whether your substance abuse and addiction strictly qualify or not, we may be able to prevail on your school's officials to offer leniency while you pursue your recovery plan.

Addiction as an Extenuating Circumstance for Special Relief

You may alternatively find relief from your academic progression issues under your school's SAP policy. SAP policies commonly offer students the opportunity to appeal their non-compliance if they can show qualifying extenuating circumstances. A serious illness interfering with studies is often one of those qualifying circumstances. However, SAP appeals generally require convincing documentation and an achievable recovery plan. Let us help you prepare, file, and advocate your SAP appeal with proper diagnosis and documentation of your substance abuse and addiction issues and your recovery plan.

Premier Student Defense for Substance Abuse Issues

Don't let substance abuse and addiction spoil your educational ambitions. You've invested a lot in your college or university education. Your best move to protect that investment when facing disciplinary charges or academic progression issues is to retain the Lento Law Firm's premier Student Defense Team. Our skilled and experienced attorneys have helped hundreds of students nationwide face and overcome school issues caused by substance abuse, addictions, and other conditions and circumstances. Call 888.535.3686 or use our contact form now for help with your case.

Meta Title: College Substance Abuse and Addiction Issues | Lento Law Firm

Meta Description: Get skilled attorney help if your substance abuse or addiction has caused your school academic progress or misconduct issues.

Student Eating Disorders as Grounds for Relief from College Issues

Eating disorders can create havoc for college and university students. Eating disorders can cause serious mental and physical effects, seriously impacting academic studies, school relationships, and student behavior. Those effects can quickly lead to academic progression issues, academic misconduct charges, and even behavioral and sexual misconduct charges or other school issues. If your eating disorder is complicating your college or university studies and relationships, and threatening your school enrollment with serious issues, then retain the Lento Law Firm's premier Student Defense Team to help you face and defeat those school issues. Our skilled and experienced attorneys may be able to show school officials that your eating disorder should gain you relief while helping you avoid discipline, dismissal, or other school sanctions. Call 888.535.3686 or use our contact form now to get our premier help with your school issues.

What Is an Eating Disorder?

School officials, student peers, and even family members may have gross misconceptions about your eating disorder, believing it to be largely a lifestyle choice. In fact, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, an eating disorder is a serious and sometimes even fatal illness with severe disturbances in eating behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. Eating disorders involve an involuntary preoccupation with food habits, body weight, and body shape, sometimes diagnosed as or leading to anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Symptoms can include severe weight loss, severe food intake restriction, distorted body perception, suicidal ideation, and denial of the serious adverse health effects from low body weight. If you have a serious eating disorder, your health and life are at risk. Get medical help. Get the help of our attorneys for your school issues so that those issues do not contribute to your eating disorder.

The Prevalence of Eating Disorders in the General Population

You are not alone if you have a serious eating disorder. The National Eating Disorder Association reports that nine percent of Americans, or nearly 29 million residents, will suffer an eating disorder at some point in their lifetime. Both men and women suffer from eating disorders, although the rate is nearly double among women. Eating disorders can be deadly. Eating disorders have the second highest mortality rate among mental illnesses, after only opioid addiction. While we associate eating disorders with underweight individuals, individuals with higher body weights have more than double the incidence of eating disorders, usually going undiagnosed. Eating disorders are associated with higher rates not only of suicide and suicidal thoughts but also mood disorders, anxiety, substance abuse and addictions, and even posttraumatic stress disorder. Eating disorders are a serious national health issue.

College Student Eating Disorders

The officials at your college or university who hold your educational future in the balance are likely well aware of the high incidence of eating disorders among the general young adult population. Eating disorders commonly begin in the teen and young adult years, just when students are moving into and through college. According to the Child Mind Institute, students may especially use food restriction as a control mechanism to replace the sense of control they need in college or university circumstances they cannot control. College or university attendance is stressful, not just because of the academic demands and competitive environment but also because of the transition away from home. In that fluid, transitional circumstance, students can easily feel overwhelmed and out of control. Diet restrictions are one way that students compensate, to restore their sense of control. That's why eating disorder rates among college students are about double the rates in the general population. Up to twenty percent of female students and ten percent of male students suffer from an eating disorder. Rather than ignoring your school issues while compensating for their stress by restricting your diet, get our help addressing your school issues. Take a positive step forward, stopping your downward spiral.

Dealing with College Eating Disorders

The National Institute of Mental Health report cited above indicates the importance of early intervention and treatment for eating disorders. Your failure to pursue treatment may lead to anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and other mental health issues, exacerbating your school issues. Interventions may well be available at low cost or no cost on your campus due to the high incidence of eating disorders in college and university populations. Interventions may include group or individual psychotherapy, nutritional counseling, medical monitoring, and even certain medications for treating corollary anxiety and depression. Know that your complete recovery is possible. Let our attorneys handle your school issues. They may also be able to help you with referrals for evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment.

The Impact of Eating Disorders on College Studies

A National Library of Medicine report confirms the correlation of eating disorders with several other serious risk factors for lowered academic performance and increased likelihood of misconduct allegations among college and university students. College students who suffer from an eating disorder are more likely to abuse illegal substances, binge drink alcohol, and suffer from debilitating anxiety and depression. An eating disorder can be one significant factor in a range of other mental health factors affecting poor academic performance, academic misconduct, behavioral misconduct, and even sexual relationships and misconduct. Don't fall prey to that constellation of negative factors. Fight and overcome your eating disorder with appropriate intervention and treatment, while you retain our Student Defense Team to help you deal affirmatively with your school issues. Reverse your downward spiral with our help.

Related Impacts of College Student Eating Disorders

An eating disorder can have broader impacts than you may think. You might assume that your eating disorder only affects your mental and physical health, and potentially your academic performance. But an eating disorder and the constellation of mental health issues that your eating disorder may trigger can also affect your key supportive relationships. Your eating disorder can affect your college roommate, classmates, and friends. It can also affect your relationships with professors and advisors, especially if they do not understand the medical basis for your demeanor and presentation. They may misconstrue your anxiety, depression, and lethargy associated with your eating disorder as your lack of care and commitment. You could lose references, recommendations, grants, awards, and other key academic support. Your eating disorder can also affect your family and mentor relationships. Recognize these corollary effects when deciding how you will fight your eating disorder and school issues. With so much on the line, get the help of our skilled and experienced Student Defense Team.

School Issues Eating Disorders May Trigger

Your eating disorder means you face certain personal mental and physical health risks. You've also seen above, and likely experienced personally, that your eating disorder can decrease your academic performance and strain your school relationships. But your eating disorder may also have triggered your academic progression, academic misconduct, behavioral misconduct, or sexual misconduct issues. Your school issues and your eating disorder may have a close connection. Let our attorneys help you show school officials that you deserve relief from your school issues while you pursue a recovery plan for your eating disorder. Consider the following common school issues.

Academic Progression Issues from Eating Disorders

Eating disorders can certainly contribute to lower academic performance due to fatigue, lethargy, lack of concentration, poor attention, anxiety, and depression, all triggered by nutritional deficiencies. When your academic performance suffers, you may face charges that you have failed to meet your school's satisfactory academic progress (SAP) minimums. Every school receiving federal student loan proceeds must maintain and enforce SAP standards. The University of New Hampshire's SAP policy is an example. Those standards routinely include a minimum grade-point average of 2.00 on a 4.00 scale, the requirement that you complete two-thirds of the credits attempted, and the requirement that you graduate within 150% of your program's scheduled length. Your low grades, course withdrawals and incompletes, and terms off or low course loads due to your eating disorder can all contribute to your failure to meet SAP standards. Let us help you take an SAP appeal based on your eating disorder as a medical illness qualifying as an extenuating circumstance.

Academic Misconduct Issues from Eating Disorders

Eating disorders can surprisingly also contribute to academic misconduct charges. Students face greater temptations to cheat when under extra academic pressure to perform. Cheating isn't just a temptation for lazy students. Cheating is a special temptation for committed and striving students who suddenly find themselves unable to meet their own high standards. Students with eating disorders can fall into that cheating temptation and trap. Your school very likely has an academic integrity policy or honor code, like the academic codes in place at other schools. The Academic Honor Policy at Florida State University is an example. Unauthorized use of materials on an exam, unauthorized collaboration with another student on an assignment, and unauthorized use of electronic resources like ChatGPT, Chegg, Brainly, StudyBlue, Cymath, and Quizlet can all lead to academic misconduct charges, threatening your suspension or dismissal. Don't let your eating disorder and associated mental health issues cloud your judgment. Don't let cheating charges leave a permanent mark of dishonesty on your academic record. Get our help fighting academic misconduct charges, including arguing your eating disorder and associated mental health issues, for leniency and defense.

Behavioral Issues from Eating Disorders

Eating disorders can also contribute to behavioral issues that could result in misconduct charges under your school's student code of conduct. Colleges and universities routinely adopt student conduct codes like the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities at Michigan State University. Those codes prohibit or closely regulate drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, class or clinic attendance while intoxicated by alcohol or impaired under the influence of drugs or medication, property theft and damage, violence, and threats of violence, and a wide range of other disorderly or disruptive conduct. Your eating disorder and associated mental health issues can increase your risk of engaging in these disordered and disruptive behaviors. If you face related behavioral misconduct charges, we may be able to use your eating disorder and related mental health issues as a defense or grounds for leniency.

Title IX Sexual Misconduct Issues from Eating Disorders

Eating disorders can also affect your close or intimate relationships, leading to sexual misconduct charges. Colleges and universities must publish and enforce Title IX sexual misconduct policies, to preserve their access to federal funding. Your school very likely has a Title IX policy like the one at Georgia State University. Those policies prohibit more than sexual assault and domestic violence. They also prohibit dating violence, stalking, and sexual harassment. They may even extend protections to cover vague definitions of sexual exploitation. Don't run afoul of your school's Title IX policy. Don't ignore or minimize the seriousness of sexual misconduct allegations. Get our help to defend Title IX charges related to your eating disorder and associated mental health issues.

Eating Disorder as a Defense to School Issues

The school officials holding your educational future in their hands, due to your academic progression, academic misconduct, behavioral misconduct, or other school issues, are likely to be sympathetic to your eating disorder and associated mental health conditions. They won't likely blame you for those conditions but instead may consider those conditions as grounds for relief from the school issue you face. But turning sympathy for your eating disorder into positive relief from school disciplinary or academic progression issues generally requires a clear diagnosis and convincing documentation showing not only the connection between your eating disorder and your school issues but also your recovery plan. Our attorneys have the skill and experience you need to make that showing. Here are a couple of examples.

Eating Disorders Requiring Disability Accommodation

We may be able to invoke the protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other state and federal anti-discrimination laws, rules, and regulations. Your school officials respect their obligation to accommodate your qualifying disabilities. We may be able to show that your eating disorder meets the ADA definition of a physical or mental impairment substantially limiting a major life activity.

Eating Disorders as an Extenuating Circumstance for Special Relief

We may also be able to invoke your eating disorder as an extenuating circumstance for relief from your school's SAP policy. SAP policies commonly treat a serious medical illness as grounds for SAP relief. We may be able to help you not only document your eating disorder as a serious medical illness but also propose an achievable academic recovery plan as your school's SAP policy requires.

Premier Student Defense for Eating Disorder Issues

Retain the Lento Law Firm's premier Student Defense Team to help you address school issues arising out of your eating disorder. Our skilled and experienced attorneys help hundreds of students nationwide defend and defeat school issues caused by eating disorders and other mental health conditions and circumstances. Call 888.535.3686 or use our contact form now for help with your case.

Meta Title: College Student Eating Disorder Issues | Lento Law Firm

Meta Description: Get skilled attorney help if your eating disorder and related mental health cause school academic progress or misconduct issues.

Student Relationship Issues as Grounds for Relief from College Issues

Relationship issues can significantly impact a college or university student's academic performance, especially considering the host of mental health conditions that can arise when school relationships turn sour. Relationship issues can decrease your academic performance and cause or contribute to allegations of academic misconduct, behavioral misconduct, and especially Title IX or other sexual misconduct. If your relationship issues have created school issues threatening your enrollment, school record, and educational goals, retain the Lento Law Firm's premier Student Defense Team to help you successfully address those school issues. Our attorneys may be able to show that your relationship issues and associated mental health conditions warrant leniency in or relief from your school issues. Avoid discipline, dismissal, or other school sanctions. Call 888.535.3686 or use our contact form now for our skilled and experienced help with your school issues.

The Value of Strong School Relationships

We depend on relationships, not just in school but in all settings. We depend on and benefit from family relationships, friend relationships, and professional and employment relationships. For many of us, a close or intimate long-term relationship is also a natural goal. Relationships can provide great personal, social, familial, financial, educational, and vocational benefits. Often, it's not what you know but who you know and whether they're willing to support you. Relationships are especially valuable in college and university settings. Your professor and advisor relationships can go a long way toward success or failure, depending on how they work out. Your relationships with other students can likewise greatly benefit or burden you. Your close or intimate relationships may lead to marriage or other long-term support or, contrarily, to tremendous distress, upset, and burden. Like it or not, you depend on your school relationships for your educational success.

The Onset and Prevalence of Relationship Issues

You should have no question that when relationships go awry, you can face tremendous mental distress and related health and personal burdens. You may have already experienced relationship issues outside your college or university setting. You know what a sharp disagreement with a family member or breakup with a friend or intimate partner can produce in exaggerated allegations and accusations, mental and emotional distress, and other personal and social disruptions. Relationships fall apart for a variety of reasons, some personal, others behavioral, and others professional, financial, ideological, political, or social. You don't have complete control over relationships. It takes two to tango. Your intentions and actions may be perfectly appropriate, but you can still face a breakup because of the poor intentions or actions of the other in the relationship. Usually, the parties to a breakup share responsibility. Regardless of the cause, beware of the possibility and impact of relationship issues.

College Student Relationship Issues

College and university students likely face more frequent and more serious relationship issues than others outside the student population. College students are often spending their first significant time away from home and parental supervision. They may have underdeveloped relationship skills. The college environment is also so highly transitional and fluid that forming and maintaining stable relationships is a special challenge. Students move in and out of school, and in and out of school courses and programs. Your best study partner and friend can quickly become a distant memory after graduating or transferring to another program. Colleges and universities can also be highly competitive environments, not just in academics but also in social relationships. Your best friend or intimate partner may soon find a better friend or intimate partner, in a population of hundreds or thousands of potential partners. These other factors can further stress and strain college and university student relationships, causing relationship breakups and issues:

• losing established friend and partner relationships when moving to school;
• relaxed social and cultural norms around intimate relationships and liaisons;
• unfamiliarity with new friend and partner history and background;
• increased physical energy and sexual drives in young adulthood;
• compact, dense, and fluid housing and sleeping arrangements;
• readily available drugs and alcohol disinhibiting behavioral controls;
• music, dance, arts, sports, and other stimuli to frequent social engagement;
• flexible schedules and available time; and
• the absence of significant schedule restraints and accountability.

College Relationship Breakups

A Psychology Today report indicates that relationship breakups are common on college and university campuses, especially in the first years. While many students regard those breakups as positive experiences or outcomes, many students do not, instead suffering severe mental and emotional distress. Breakups are also not the only relationship issues on college and university campuses. Sexual assault is a serious college campus concern. The same Psychology Today report indicates studies showing that as many as one-third of college students experience relationship violence. Your relationship breakup could end up in Title IX sexual misconduct charges or other behavioral charges. You could face a disciplinary proceeding.

Dealing with College Relationship Breakups

Problems are not inevitable. Good practices may avoid most problems. The same Psychology Today report suggests leaving broken relationships behind, journaling about the benefits of the breakup, relying on other social support, and waiting to form a new relationship. Above all, don't assume that abuse within a relationship is normal or acceptable. Get out of abusive relationships, and leave abusive relationships behind. The recommendations also include learning more about who you are, while forming new relationships on healthier grounds like good character and compatible interests. Don't let attraction be a matter of convenience, like the co-ed down the hall. Instead, be selective in your relationships, searching for the qualities and characteristics most likely to help the relationship grow and endure.

The Impact of Relationship Issues on College Studies

A study of the impact of relationship issues on college and university students documents their serious adverse effects and deep concerns. Poor mental health, academic failure, and college or university withdrawal or dismissal are substantial risks associated with relationship breakups. In addition to those risks, there is the economic burden of college or university withdrawal. And relationship breakups are only one of the negative factors. Poor relationship quality is also strongly associated with the above negative outcomes. Don't underestimate the adverse effect of your relationship issues on your mental health, academic performance, academic progression, and behavioral school issues. Get our help with your school issues, and we will also help you identify mental health resources and form a recovery plan to address your school issues.

Other Impacts of College Student Relationship Issues

Relationship issues hurt not only you but also your support network. Relationship issues and the mental health problems that accompany them can have a broader impact than just your academic performance or personal behavior. You could burden or lose your roommates, classmates, and school friends. Your mental health issues from your relationship breakup or problem could also adversely impact your professor and advisor relationships. School instructors and officials may mistake your mental health issues from your relationship problems as your lack of commitment to your studies and self-care and discipline. They may assume things about you that are not true and that discourage them from acting as your reference and recommender, mentor, and advisor. Your relationship issues and the school issues that flow from them could also affect your family relationships. Beware those broader impacts. Let us help address your school issues while also helping you form a recovery plan.

School Charges Your Relationship Issues May Trigger

Your relationship issues may do more than reduce your academic performance and class standing. They may also trigger specific school academic progression, academic misconduct, behavioral misconduct, or sexual misconduct disciplinary charges. You may already face a disciplinary proceeding related to your relationship breakup or other relationship problem and your mental health issues flowing from that problem. Yet, while your relationship issue may have been the trigger for your school problem, we may be able to help you show school officials that your relationship issue is a fairground for relief from your school issue. Consider the following common school charges and how we might be able to help you address them, with a presentation of your relationship issue and recovery plan.

Academic Progression Charges from Relationship Issues

When relationship issues reduce your academic performance, you may fail courses or get such low grades that you no longer meet your school's minimum academic requirements. Colleges and universities publish, maintain, and enforce satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policies to meet federal student loan guidelines. Your school very likely has an SAP policy like the policy at the University of Kansas, requiring that you maintain a cumulative 2.00 / 4.00 grade-point average, complete two-thirds of the credits you attempt, and graduate within 150% of the scheduled time for your degree program. When you fail to make satisfactory academic progress, your school will notify you that you are no longer eligible for federal student loans and aid. You may subsequently face probation, suspension, and dismissal if you cannot continue your studies toward graduation. However, SAP policies also generally permit a student to appeal on the grounds of extenuating circumstances. Your relationship issue and associated mental health condition may possibly qualify as relief grounds.

Academic Misconduct Charges from Relationship Issues

Schools also maintain academic integrity policies or honor codes, such as the Standards of Academic Integrity, in place at the University of Nebraska. Those standards typically include prohibitions on unauthorized use of exam materials, unauthorized assistance on assignments, plagiarism, research fraud, and other forms of cheating or academic dishonesty. Your relationship issues and associated mental health conditions may reduce your academic performance to the point that cheating or taking shortcuts that arguably qualify as cheating tempt you to violate your school's academic integrity policy. Electronic tools and resources like Chegg, ChatGPT, Cymath, Brainly, Quizlet, and Course Hero are especially attractive for students who are behind in their studies. Academic misconduct charges may follow if your instructor has prohibited you from using those resources. Let us help you defend academic misconduct charges relating to your relationship issues.

Behavioral Misconduct Charges from Relationship Issues

Relationship issues and their associated mental health conditions can also prompt behavioral misconduct and disciplinary charges. Your school very likely has a student code of conduct like the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities at the University of Oklahoma. Those student conduct codes typically prohibit drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, violence and threats of violence, disorderly conduct, property theft and damage, and other behavioral wrongs that relationship issues may trigger. For instance, your poor mental health from relationship issues may cause you to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol, over-indulge in tobacco use, or make threats or commit acts out of anger and frustration that you would never have otherwise made. The student with whom you broke up may also make false or exaggerated allegations of these wrongs. Our attorneys can help you defend against behavioral misconduct charges arising out of your relationship issues.

Title IX Sexual Misconduct Charges from Relationship Issues

Title IX sexual misconduct charges are a special problem that students with relationship issues face. Every college or university receiving federal funding must publish and enforce a Title IX sexual misconduct policy prohibiting sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sexual harassment. The Prohibited Discrimination and Retaliation Policy at the University of Oregon is an example. When you have a relationship breakup, your former partner may have significant concerns and regrets over the relationship. Those concerns may lead to false, exaggerated, or even arguably credible allegations of your sexual harassment, offensive sexual advances, or other sexual misconduct. Fear, anger, frustration, and other exaggerated emotions in the course of a breakup can cloud your judgment, leading to words and actions you later regret. Our attorneys may be able to help you defend and defeat Title IX sexual misconduct charges based on evidence of your mental health conditions relating to the breakup.

Student Defense for School Charges from Relationship Issues

If you face school charges of one kind or another, related to your relationship issues and associated mental health conditions, then retain the Lento Law Firm's premier Student Defense Team to help you effectively and successfully address those school issues. We help hundreds of students nationwide defend and defeat school issues caused by relationship issues and associated mental health conditions and other circumstances. Call 888.535.3686 or use our contact form now for help with your case.