The ones who's been acting like it's all alright, but always one question away from crying...
The ones who lost their academic spark and feel like no one else gets your pain...
The ones who avoid their work because it just feels too much...
You are not the only one! 🫂
I'm a 6th year PhD student who disappeared for almost 1.5 years. Burnt out, depressed, couldn't open my laptop. Hid from my lab, my supervisor, my work - and still smiled through every "how's the PhD going?" conversation, while feeling empty inside.
I haven't figured it out yet either. I'm not writing this from the other side.
I'm writing this from the middle of it - just far enough to finally see what happened to me.
This page is for the version of you that you don't show in lab meetings.
And tell me in the comments or in my DMs - let's make this a place for the conversations we usually keep to ourselves. ❤️🩹
I'm here. I'm reading. You're not alone.
(and hello!! to all my new followers 🫶🏼)
a month agoducky_s.g
I don’t think I can ever meet the expectations of my supervisor. I read papers but when asked to go on a whiteboard and draw out the entire model from scratch… my mind goes blank. I CANNOT even remember what I read…and I am expected to know each single variable, each single input dimension as if I wrote the paper.
3 months agosivatejah2
If the scholar is not achieving the results as per the defined objectives, and publications are not being accepted. If the scholar goes in disguise, then it will prolong his PhD journey. Speak with good friends who are doing research; their input will morally boost the scholar. As a researcher, the scholar might try various ways to achieve positive results; many might fail, but they provide sufficient knowledge to try new approaches that might work in their favour. PhD journey will test your patience, don't give up on yourself, be with you. Ultimately, you will sail through your PhD journey.
3 months agothephdcoach1
The strongest researchers know that asking for support is a sign of resilience not weakness.
3 months agomoonisla_
Thank you for this raw honesty. I’ve been in a burnout for almost a year now, slowly getting back into work after my sick leave, but it’s harder than I thought and I still cry at every meeting with my supervisors. I feel like a small child but I can’t stop my emotions from welling out every time.
3 months agodhuynh10
I spent my whole PhD feeling like this. Even though I made it to the end I still feel guilty for wasting so much time...
3 months agosafia_taibaoui
I feel like PhD took from me my healthy lifestyle, my hobbies and the joy of life...
3 months agoinerty_helium
What should I do if, I keep getting the question that "am I even enough, am I worth it or capable of it" to a point where things I used to consider as my greatest achievements seems like just another thing, and its not even been that long of me starting my PhD.
3 months agojustfrances12
Past PhD was fully of psychological abuse hidden under the guise of mentoring and research. I did quit this after years of this 9 years. My new program is the complete opposite and I do enjoy it. but damage was done in my 1st. I get flashbacks from my first when in my current program. It’s very random. Once I realize it’s a flashback then I grieve what my 1st PhD program should have been. I’m so very different after my 1st PhD. I grieve the person I was before starting my 1st PhD program. I see her sometimes in my current program but she’s mostly hidden. I wonder if she will ever come back.
3 months agoelise.guest
The institutionalized generational trauma is horrific. The academy needs to sort it self out around that asap. I will spend the rest of my life trying to talk people out of a PhD. It’s simply not worth it.
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