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[quote=Anonymous]
OP - I would have your daughter (because she is 18) contact her local doctor to see if she can be seen on an emergency basis next week and if she can, then leave early for her Thanksgiving break.
If not, then have her come home this weekend and give her the time to share with you how she is really doing because her mental health is the main concern.  Contact the disabilities office if she is registered to learn what the specific process is for a medical withdrawal and the deadline. Also find out what the last date is to withdraw from a class or to request an incomplete.  If there are classes that she says she thinks she would like to speak to the professor(s) about finding out what she would need to do to complete the course with an incomplete, the encourage her to do so.  She would have several weeks at home to do so.

If she can be seen by her doctor, that would be the most recommended approach because if she needed a medical leave and was able to work with her doctor, there could be the opportunity to adjust her medication, get some therapy and evaluate if she could return to school in the spring semester with likely a somewhat reduced load of classes or not.  Depending on the status of her mental health, given the distance from home, it may be important to find a local therapist for DD upon her return to campus.

On the other hand, if it is evaluated that she should withdrawal for medical reasons this semester, then she should do so.  She may need an extended stay at home to address her mental health with her medical doctor and a therapist.  It would be important to devise a daily routine as soon as advisable to get her on a good routine of nutrition, exercise and what she wants to be doing.  This could be possibly completing the requirements for a couple of classes, finding a volunteer job, taking an interest class with no pressure at a community college, taking a couple of classes at a community college which might transfer, or getting a part-time job.

Our oldest daughter withdrew as a sophomore just about this time from a major school as she just needed time to deal with MH that surfaced her freshman year, In her case she had AP credits she used and she did take a couple of classes in her major spring semester at a local college - both of which counted.  She also found she could sell jewelry at a local department store quite nicely and saw her medical team as needed.   It was a rough time, but she did get the mental health treatment she needed and the break from school helped her reset herself.

I will say a withdrawal at this time of the year is also possible to reset things depending upon the student and return for spring semester as this happened to DD as a senior in college.  In her case she took incompletes after talking with her professors and was able at home to complete her work.  It helped that her psychiatrist was able to see her weekly and felt it was possible if medication was adjusted.  It usually takes several weeks to do so.  Our DD realized that this would be a continuing aspect of her life that she would need to learn to manage and she has done so with some blips.  Today, she is in the job she studied for, is well regarded in her field, married and has two teenagers.  She has learned how to judge what supports she needs in her life to keep a balance, including medication change, therapy, and daily exercise.  Right now it may seem like the end of so many dreams, but it need not be. There is no one pathway to the future. [/quote]

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