Anxiety Support Group

Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...

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Might be leaving school...again

Blue_Jay
Blue_Jay

I'm giving this graduate program another shot, I've recently finished my Master's on a very high note and decided to move out of state and keep the momentum going into a PhD. But yet here I am, depressed and anxious, feeling like I'm falling behind. Like I've left my friends, family, and the state that I love behind. I've pushed away relationships to pursue this passion, and now it's faded. I'm here waiting on a response from one of my professors know I've failed a major test course for something that I really did try. I'm in over my head, worried, panicked that I might go back home a failure.  

Community LeaderMid
Mid
Pause. Stop. Breathe. Take a moment to remind yourself, sometimes, we expend a lot of energy "thinking" when we can "do" and keep our energy working for us.

You chose this path for more than just a single try. Find what gives you strength and go for it!

You can do this! Best wishes!
sharaninmd
sharaninmd
You should not be so hard on yourself. You worked hard and received a Master's Degree. It is only natural for you to go through all of these emotions and doubt when you are leaving your home and loved ones behind. Believe in yourself and you can do this. Reach your goal of getting your PhD. Good luck in school.
victor
victor
A Ph. D. is not a necessary or even applicable measure of who you are and what you can do. I speak only of poetry --- all of the following people had dropped out of Harvard --- Robert Frost, T.S. Eliot, and Wallace Stevens. Sometimes a Ph. D. kills creativity. But if you are in a technical field, a Ph. D. will be advantageous in getting a job, but then a job is not a direct measure of who you are either.

In short, figure out a way to pay your bills and try to be happy.
bookmaven
bookmaven
I'm in a very similar boat. And it's hard. There are expectations you place on yourself. those you want to live up to from other people. The idea that your friends have successfully completed their doctorates so what's wrong with you? All I can say is be gentle with yourself, and evaluate what YOU want. I don't know if I'm ready to give up on the PhD yet, but I do know I need to respect my boundaries and limits and a 3-3 is never going to be an option for me, so I need to work out what I can achieve, what I do want. Where I can put my skills and knowledge to use. I'm contemplating an online PhD - there are a few out there from reputable schools. I don't think I can handle the student side of being in the classroom anymore. I'm exhausted. Anxiety and depressive cycles overwhelm me at the start of every semester. And to be honest - I hate departmental politics. I'm tired of playing the arse-kissing game. So for now, I'm just going to do me. Take the time to reflect on what makes me content and decide if a PhD is what I need or want. I suggest you do the same. The degree is validation of your hard work, yes, but it's not worth making yourself ill or dying over.
BrokenBridges
BrokenBridges
First off, your not a failure because atleast you tried.
Most people dont even try.
Maybe your just overwhelmed. Just keep trying and do your best. Id love to be as smart as you.
vwidow
vwidow
Mideyebrow this username is really interesting to me. How did you get it or what does it mean?
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