Six months in and I am losing confidence...well, more like i have to find some confidence...I am starting to doubt myself. help! anyone had a crisis so early on? what can be done..?

You're probably just feeling isolated and therefore losing confidence and motivation. Talk to someone. If your supervisor is worth their salt they'll give you a pep talk to boost your confidence. Demand a meeting! Good luck - you'll get through this.

Yep. I spent 5 months before my PhD in a lab failing to express a protein, then 6 months of my PhD doing the same. My first 2 years were a knightmare. and my supervisor seems uninterested in my work.
I'm writing up in my 4th year now.
I'd say sort it out now-talk to people so you feel better.

You can do it mate. I have quit and been talked into continuing every 6 months since I started due to lack of faith in myself. I am now about to write up and I still think I blagged my way through and know nothing. Just had 3 papers published in the last 6 months which was a shock as I thought they were crap. Just talk to your supervisor and keep him happy.

I think nearly everyone has this sort of crisis at some point. everyone i've spoken to has doubted themselves and thought they or their work weren't good enough in one way or another! maybe say to your supervisor you're feeling a bit lacking in confidence, you never know, he/she might give you a boost!

Thanks guys! maybe talking to her may help... i think i've been scared of showing 'weakness', which is silly...had a good productive days so i feel slightly better!

Reckon you should say something, you dont have to say you feel completely unconfident but maybe something more subtle - sometimes you find it a bit hard, etc... better to show a bit of weakness than drive yourself into the ground! you'll be fine dont worry

cc- what did you do to get their interest back? what has your progress been like in terms of writing up? did your supervisor relationship really affect the speed of your writing up? am asking coz am in my second year, pretty much going through the same situation.

I feel your pain lulu - I can't do it either

Hi Lulu,

I'm about 8 months into my PhD and going throught the same thing. I don't feel clever enough to be doing a PhD and I'm worried that when people try to boost my confidence they are just being nice or are over estimating my abilities, but it sounds like a lot of students feel the same things.

Hope you feel more confident!!

Snappy_jaws and JA...sure you can make it! and i will too.

Snappyjaws, JA and Lulu, you can do it. I doubted myself loads along the way (sometimes still do!) I am wondering if this is just part of doing the PhD. Just take small steps at a time and then things seem more achieveable and less daunting (worked for me anyway).

Good luck!

I thought it was mandatory to doubt yourself at least once a week!!! I also went through a dip after about 5 months and wanted to quit hated life etc tec. However I then went to a conference and it really enthused me once again, now I am preparing my upgrade and that has given a lovely clear focus and is organising my ideas. Some days (yesterday) I still get little or nothing done but then other days I rattle off 1600 words. Stick with it 'this too will pass' xx

JoJo: My supevisor still isn't interested but I insisted on a new project at the end of year 2 as needed results and wasn't getting them from the other work. I've written most my PhD, I'm in my 4th year of a 3-year funded PhD and I think I'm an average writing up time. I try and manage my supervisor: go to him with a list of questions I've prepared, and I wrote our supposedly joint reports so he could just look through. I gave my literature review to a collaborator to read (more knowledgable in the area) as could see my supervisor possibly wasn't even going to read it. I've found a young supervisor who will chat about my confidence issues, who've I seen twice for a pep talk on writing up. There's a helpful postdoc now who I can take problems too. My supervisor is someone who leaves you to work it out for yourself sink or swim.
I've no papers and feel I know nothing, but I'm learning as I write up (which makes it feel like a mammoth task).

Sounds like you are doing fantastically cc. I am glad you have found other people to talk to about writing/confidence issues and I am sorry your supervisor is not helpful.