Hullo,

I'm another early medievalist (nearing completion). As for structure, it depends on what you are trying to say - what is your thesis?

Your supervisor should really be guiding you with structure; but I might be able to suggest some comparable works that could be useful to take a look at???

thanks for the advice, all! I'm going to enlist the help of my boyfriend (who is post-doc and has experience in my field), do a back up, & hit the delete!

it's so demoralising to have to axe most of my work, but I realise that the object is to produce a piece of work that'll actually pass. so, i've to bite the bullet and think of what i'm actually trying to achieve.

cheers

just looking at historical evidence in an attempt to identify the development of ethnic identities (there's a lot of evidence, and i chose a too wide time frame)

my son asked why I couldn't submit more than one phd!

trouble was that it's all geared up to prove one point! the subject was way too vast, and I should've been less ambitious in the beginning. i'll hopefully be able to publish much of the work in the future, so it shouldn't go to waste

thanks for that - my subject is theoretical history, but there may be a way to use tables more effectively

I'm in trouble with my thesis - I've OCD, which has affected my writing: I've ended up with over 200,000 words (& I've still not finished - word limit is 80,000). I've been told that I need to keep the essence of what I've written, but reduce it. I don't see how I can do this - I have other mental health problems, which all cause me memory problems, so can't seem to get an overview etc. I read a page & then immediately forget what I've written.

I'm running out of time (it's taken 8 years so far). it's nearly killed me to complete what I have done, and my only option is a complete rewrite. i'm exhausted, even though i've been on sick leave (which I had to work through in order to catch up with my slow pace).

any advice?

I thought I'd wait til I'd finished my phd to have another kid - 8 years later, I've still not finished the thesis & I'm too old now to have a baby. I could've gone back to research, but can't turn back my biological clock.

so girls, my advice is, unless under 30, perhaps have a fertility test before deciding to postpone on motherhood til after phd??

good luck to all the expectant parents out there!

If you've been diagnosed as clinically depressed, and it's affecting your work, then it might be a good idea to let your dept. know - & supervisor if they seem sympathetic. then if things get worse, they might be more liable to cut you some slack (with extensions, sick leave, etc.), if you're too ill to work.

If it's gone on for more than a year (and affects your work), it can be classed as a disability, and you may receive further support from disability services (such as the provision of a mentor). Illnesses or disabilities should be considered confidential (but check policies).

There's clearly still a lot of prejudice, fear and ignorance surrounding mental illness (of whatever type), but you have as much right to support, as you would with any illness. just remember, it's really common within university environments, and you have nothing to be ashamed of.

P.S.

Don't be pressured by well-meaning (& ignorant) friends / family re. antidepressants, if you feel they may help - it's all down to the individual (they may make you sleepy & give you memory problems, or if you're prescribed the wrong one, make you wired, or you may have no side effects at all). get informed & go see your GP (or better, talk to several at your practice) and ask their advice. I came off them 'cos I felt pressured - this contributed to the development of bi-polar. Only you know how well you feel.

just a note to those of you experiencing mental health problems - PLEASE look after yourself: if it carries on for more than a couple of weeks, do something about it. I'm now in my 8th year, thanks to not acting on depression (after negative comments about a paper that I wrote). I tried to work through it, but the intensity and pressure of a phd made me get worse...I now have real problems & find working a real challenge (had to go PT, as a disabled student). It's best to take sick leave for a month or so, than fry your brain.

Take Care, P