I have had problem after problem with my phd, I am 12 months in and it has honestly has been one of the hardest years of my life. Supervisor relationships have been difficult, funding was non-existent for over half the year, promises haven't been kept, and now to add insult to injury, I have been diagnosed with a chronic illness, which I have had to take extended sick leave for.

My supervisors are pushing me to get back into study, however I am still getting over my illness and I have broached the topic of going part time as I am not able to take intermission right now. One was supportive, the other one wasn't at all. I have not put in a formal request for part time at the moment, but I do have the support of the student services to do do this as my scholarship requires a "good" reason to drop the workload.

I don't know how to manage a phd with a chronic illness, I need to reduce my stress levels (how!?), and I have a very difficult and demanding supervisor who has no idea about personal boundaries whatsoever.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Does anyone here have ongoing health concerns? How do you do it? Are you full-time? I am at the end of my tether, I need a holiday, but they are now telling me to work over the holidays (holidays I was going to have off before I got ill) :(

I don't know what to do anymore.

One year gone and other two or three will be over too. Seemingly, you need a bit of counselling and a short course on interpersonal communication skills to improve working relationship with your supervisors. Stress, disappointment and depression are known to give rise to illness of every kine. So, even for your illness, I would suggest to seek some counselling from a mental health professional.

Hope this helps.

Hi Lolly,

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, I hope you're okay! I too have a chronic illness, one that can lead to many complications and is exacerbated by stress. I'm in my third year of a science Phd and the first couple of years were very tough because I didn't take any leave of absence (in hindsight I probably should have). At the time, my medication hadn't been working and I was ill most of the time, so my work really suffered and my supervisor was not very supportive at all! However, once I got my medication sorted and started to feel better, I was able to crack on with PhD work and get results.

Your health is so much more important than a PhD and you can't work to your full capacity when you're unwell. I still struggle to juggle both the PhD and the chronic condition, I have days where I think I need to prioritise my work, and then days where I think I need to take it a bit easier and look after my health... it's difficult but not impossible to manage both. However, if going part time would be the best option for your health and you have one supervisor on board, I would definitely consider it! And I second the first poster's suggestion of counselling, I found my Uni counselling services were great for helping me accept my diagnosis.

If you can please think about your health - there is life after the PhD and we need to be well for it!! :) If you want to chat or just vent anonymously PM me.

Tulip

I completed a part-time PhD despite a severely disabling progressive neurological disease. I'd already had to leave a full-time (science) PhD in the past, as the disease started. When I had another go (part-time, history) I had to be really firm in terms of time I had available, and what help I needed from supervisors. In the last few years of my 6-year degree I was managing on no more than 5 hours total a week, spread throughout the week in 1-hour chunks. Very very difficult. But I made it.

Why can't you take intermission at the moment? If it's financial that is understandable, but it's not going to help you get better, and while you're still too ill you won't be able to do your full-time PhD properly.

Is there a disability services unit at your university? Most UK universities have these. They liaise with staff to make sure that disabled students - and that includes those battling chronic illness - get adequate support. If there is one and you haven't registered with them, see them ASAP.

No university wants students to fail or drop out - it looks really bad for the department, and can reduce their future funding. So the staff - and that includes your supervisor - need to work with you to get you to the end in whatever way you can.

But right now, you need to work out what level of study you can cope with, and whether you should be taking a full break now. Only once you've worked that out can you go to your supervisor and university and sort out arrangements. And you need to get good at saying no!

By the way I took a 5-month break in the middle of my funded second PhD. I had to get medical evidence to back this up, for AHRC to approve the break, but there was no problem about that at all. And they were very happy funding me part-time.

Good luck!

Yeah, that is good advice. Vent out. Back home, I know a few councillors who charge money to just listen to you whatever you have to say. They offer NO advice. Just talk, state your problems, vent out for about half an hour and then leave. It really helps. So, you can PM as well BUT I need my turn to venting too. Any others?