I am in a serious dilemma right now with my PhD. Here is a summary of my problem (academic only)
1) My project has been changed a year ago, and until now there is hardly any consistency in results and the direction is still uncertain.
The data I've generated I don't think are publishable and I'm virtually stuck in a spiral of no results - no direction - go back and re-do - no results - and etc.
2) I am getting limited support from my peers and others on the project
3) I had a project of my own when I joined the lab, was asked to change it and I find it hard to relate to any of my interests. I don't hate the project by without a clear direction I can't seem to find myself even liking the project.
4) I fear my supervisor who's going to get upset and angry when I tell him how I really feel.

My funding is limited during the phD course, hence no extension.

I am not asking whether I should quit / continue (because I'm not going to quit), but just to find out whether there's anyone here who is facing / has been through similar crisis at the later part of the PhD and what are the ways to get out of this depressing situation.

I'm having a difficult phd, and sad to say now I've just started my 3rd year. I originally had interest in research but now I'm feeling completely lost. I entered with an interesting project in mind but project has been changed few times by my PI (just suddenly without much discussion) and finally settled down on 1. Because of my background, I initially had a project in mind which my PI approved but was changed because it was not in keeping with the lab's overall interest. The current project deviates very far from what I intended but I thought I would just persist and work hard and learn to 'enjoy in'. I've been trying to think of ideas and whenever I discuss with my supervisor, he comments that I do not 'understand' my project question well enough and asks me to think harder. Perhaps there is some mis-understanding from the beginning but after several discussions my supervisor seems to have lost the patience and things just seem to go down-hill then. The thing is I really want to ask more questions, share ideas, and engage in meaningful discussion with exchange of ideas. Each discussion pretty much always ends up in 'disaster', just a couple of minutes of 'updates' and just pretty much ends there. Next question is 'do I have data' and If not something interesting he just disappears or sulks. Any question I ask just ends up being 'fired back' and whenever I want to approach him just for some ideas, I will be told to come back later when I have all the plans 'laid out perfectly'. As a result, I just feel more and more anxious whenever I speak to my mentor. The more anxious I feel, the more likely I seem to say things wrongly. I am feeling sad all the time and wonder what I should do. Thanks for advice. I don't think he will listen if I even try to tell him how I'm feeling.

I'm sure similar posts have been going around, but I'm seriously having a problem with my PhD now. I'm considered a 'late' PhD student - I had undergrad medical degree, I've been working in a clinical practice for years.
I decided that I've cultivated enough interest during my training and I thought that I'd really like to go for a research degree to fulfil my career dreams. I have always enjoyed sciences when I was younger but I've been out of this field for quite some time. Now I've got myself stuck in the wet lab, for almost 2 years, project has been changed several times:
First time was because there was some problem with getting the good samples.
Second time, was I was trying to grow special line of cells which was inheriently difficult and unable to trouble shoot.
Now, I'm stuck with a series of experiments which are very hard to reproduce and gives me very variable results.
Not only my experiments seem unable to work, the added frustration of not picking up science as fast as my peers who are younger and have more work experience in wet lab, is constantly haunting me.
Over time, I'm starting to lose confidence in my work and I'm feeling I'm falling further behind.
Initially I felt if I continued to persevere, study hard, work hard, things will get better but is just not going well according to plan.
My PHD qualifying exam is coming up and I'm still stuck - I'm unable to get out of my downward spiral of negative thoughts of unable to generate good results and getting the best out of my PhD. I feel like I'm unable to meet the standards of purely trained scientists no matter how much I read. I'm always treated as 'not knowing enough' or not ''skilled enough' and it's a terrible feeling.
I don't want to quit but I don't know what I can do either. I'd really appreciate your advice. Thank you.