Hello all. I'm a new member to this forum (actually my first ever forum!) and I am here searching for the light! It has been 3.5 years, i am writing but VERY VERY slowly. I have very little motivation left and I just can't seem to discipline myself to finish it. The self-critisim is the hardest thing to deal with as i had always been very optimisitic and confident. Now i feel useless, dumb and embarrassed!!!!

Hello Falling, lovely to meet you :-)

What you describe seems to be, from what I've seen on here, so so common! You certainly aren't in any way alone in feeling this way and I know that some of the others who have been going for some time will be along later. It really does seem to be the curse of phd students - how to summon up that last bit of energy and get your motivation and self confidence back. I think that there are times when all that you can do is grit your teeth, put your head down and write, something, anything, and keep your eyes on the end prize - its not long now. You've done one heck of a lot of work, just do that last bit and you're there.
As for feeling useless, dumb and embarrassed - again, you tick the majority if phd blues boxes there. But what has been said to me, and what will be said to you is to be objective about this (easier said than done). You are none of these things. If you were you would not still be on your course would you - they would have politely asked you to leave. You are intelligent, thoughtful, your level of self-criticism shows this. The blues are so so hard to cope with - I had the first year version a couple of weeks back and I've seen people on the point of submission struck down with it, and every stage in between.
Hold on, do your thing and try to just do a bit each day.
There is a book - I can't remember the details, it will be on the forum here somewhere - about how to write your Phd in 15 mins a day - it seems, from what I've seen of the others at the end, a huge help.

As Stressed said, most of us have felt useless, dumb and embarrassed at least once, or more than once in many cases (pretty much every day in my case!). As far as I'm concerned, writing is a long, slow and painful process. It will get you down because it seems endless, and it is very hard to find the motivation. However, you have been working on it for 3.5 years so you've already done plenty of hard work. Don't give up because every day that goes past is one day closer to the day when you finish. When it gets really tough, come here and moan at us or read other people's moans. It really does help because we know what you're going through. :-)

Hi

I have been doing my PhD for 5 years now, it was intended to be this long as it was combined with teaching. Although i have been trying to write all along I am now at the phase where all I have left to do is 'write it up' Ideally I need to do this by the summer as my bursary has finished and we have no money. Slogging day after day at the computer, trying to write something worthwhile and thinking i must hurry up seems like an endless, impossible task. But I know from previous experience if you just keep going, you get mini breakthroughs where things come together and you feel like you can go on. As Stressed says I think the secret is to keep writing, even if it feels like rubbish. At least it gives you something to work with, which is better than a blank page. At the moment writing really feels like an act of faith. I think the thing is to just keep plodding on, even when you don't feel like you can do it!

Thanks for your confirmation that I am not alone and the ONLY way to finish it is to JUST DO IT!!  And thank you for this forum in giving me the chance to scream out and be understood! But now I will try to focus on the positives, which are many if you actually write down what a PhD means to you.  I was ambitious and enthusiastic once, so i can be again. So I will be deregistering as pessimistic "Falling" and join in as a more optimistic participant.  Change your negative thoughts to positive ones - use the antonym instead. I feel valuable, intelligent and proud! 

I relate to you, im in that horrible head down grit teeth and write stage-at least im meant to be. I finish in sept and I am appalled at how little I have done, so Ive just made a massive chart of how im going to get to sept with daily tasks and submission dates to try and do it. Its not easy and they are right gritting your teeth is the only way to do it, there is no magic unfortunately.

Try reading Joan Bolkers writing your dissertation in 15 minutes a day. I swear by it, it should be made compulsory for every PhD student.