There is always the option of going to the United States to do a doctorate in clinical psychology. I have no idea about the competition for places, but there do seem to be a lot of them about, (not meant in a deregatory way at all) so it might be a feasible way to get the qualification?

http://cats.about.com/od/cleaningmesses/tp/blacklight.htm

Has information on black light and products to get rid of pet smell...

A black light is a certain kind of light bulb, that when shone ( is that a word?) will reveal areas of hidden pet urine. I have no idea where you would buy one of these in the UK. In the US, you could get them at a hardware store ( might a DIY store have them here?) or even in the rough equivalent to a Boots...sometimes they are advertised along with some gunk that you use to clean up the revealed hidden mess...this black light is recommended when you have continuing smell and cannot get rid of the odor. The problem with urine is that it is acidic, and it can eat into your flooring, leaving a permanent odor, unless you treat the flooring itself. So it is best to treat it right away.

I am now experiencing "footnote rage"...I hate footnotes in the best of times, but these particular footnotes are taking FOREVER!!! and they are as pleasant to do as putting your eye out with a stick.

Aliens???? or ????? poltergeists!!!???

ewww...pet odor is hard to combat! Vinegar..which you probably know..is supposed to eliminate the odor, even to the cat, so it does not keep going in the same areas. Baking powder is supposed to help soak up odors, especially if you have hard wood floors or carpeting, where the pet mess can seep down to the lower layers and remain there...a black light is supposed to reveal the hidden areas where a pet has sprayed...then you can treat that area. Failing that, threaten that cat that you will move a large hairy dog in that will eat him if he does not stop!

Maybe you are dehydrated?! Dehydration can show up with symptoms of tiredness, etc, so it could be that you need to drink more water!

To the non-weather affected...you ARE describing the very classic symptoms of at least subsyndromal Seasonal Effective Disorder. You could very well love winter weather, but still suffer the physical effects of lack of sunlight, which is thought to perhaps impact seratonin levels, causing a depressive mood.

When the moooooooonnnnn is in the 7th house and Mercury aligns with Mars....

actually according to www.cainer.com, the Moon is in Taurus, Mercury is semi square and waning with Pluto, and the moon is waxing ( ie. growing towards full). Seems a benign planetary set up...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_affective_disorder


That ever authoritative source--Wikipedia, on Seasonal Affective Disorder, which reports that Australian Natalie Umbruglia came down with a bad case of it during a stay in London.

I think it has got to have something to do with the weather, at least! And maybe post holiday blahs. I saw a glowing object in the sky, a strange sight indeed, for a few moments yesterday...not a UFO, but the SUN!!!!! I know it does not always rain like this in England, but if I did not know better, I would have the impression that England has a persisent eternal twilight...Seasonal Affective Disorder is what people get from lack of sunlight...can you go to a place with artificial lights that mimic sun--a greenhouse does wonders! Or get outside for the brief moments that the sun does appear?

Why does it always start to rain just when I am ready to venture outside to forage for some lunch? Yesterday I had to have two bags of Doritos for lunch... from the vending machine.

STOP RAINING!!!!!!!!!!!!

Obviously, PhDs have different requirements around the globe. The US PhD programme ( I spelled it the British way! ) is very different than a UK one--and who is to say one is better than the other? The reputation and quality of a PhD from the UK is very high, I believe, and I do not think you can generalise one experience to the whole of a country's educational system. I know that I would never have the learning experience in the US as I am getting in the UK, in no small part because the US does not have an equivalent PhD in law degree!

Eye contact, eye contact, eye contact! Obviously, you do not want to stare people down, but you do want to look at the person doing the nterview as they ask questions and as you answer, and if there is more than one person in the room, be sure to acknowledge them, by looking at them from time to time as you answer, even if they were not the one who asked the question. Especially if they were not the one who asked the question. Deep breathing really does help calm nerves and steady the voice, smiling, thanking them for the opportunity to interview, etc, all important. I don't know if the etiquette is the same as a job interview, should you send a thank you letter as a follow up? Maybe others on here have a better idea about that than me.

My prior experience with the UK has been that when people know you, on an individual level, people are friendly, helpful, warm, humorous, etc.; that the big difference is the "shield" that people have around them as they move about--but understandable in a way because the UK, well, England in particular, and London most of all, is so densely populated! Some of it is my own surprise at feeling a bit disoriented and out of sorts--because I have been to the UK a lot--but staying is different than visiting! And its lovely to have this forum!

Thanks, Smilodon, for that. Yes, it is all a process! I was an exchange student in high school to Australia, and can remember going through the same phases--loving it and being so euphoric, then getting bewildered and frustrated by little things--and in time it levelled out to be a great experience. Coming from an incredibly small town with family and friends everywhere you go, part of the adjustment is just not having that "support network", and needing to make new friends and colleagues--again, something that will happen over time!