Hello all! I am new... and need some help/advice! I am funded (yay!) and am completing my MRes to go onto the first year of the PhD proper - however, this year I have been doing the PhD too. I am at the dissertation stage now and feel I am going mad. I love my PhD topic and doing it but at the moment I feel really low and overwhelmed and just want it to go away! is this normal?! I worry I shan't be able to complete it or that it will drive me mad. Help!

Occasionally I bump into some bast*** who finds this PhD process a veritable walk in the park. I have to exercise considerable self-restraint from doing them considerable physical harm. Yes in my case, and indeed for many people based on this forum. YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

It is normal to feel overwhelmed and struggle at times. A lot of times! Like golfpro I too have to restrain myself when I come across B****d's taking a walk in the park. I personally cannot find that park!!

its hell for me. i feel exactly the way you feel.

Thank you for your replies! I am so glad I am not alone. mostly I find it fine but then something will throw me and I get really scared of it all! I do have some colleagues who seem to never tire of working or are already writing papers etc and it is rather intimidating. Actually, I have taken the weekend off my work and am feeling much happier. How do you guys manage the stressful times? I think I will be on here - a LOT!!

Leave the whole lot aside for one or two days and then come back to work on it, then you'll be able to spot some errors which you didn't notice before and can sometimes come up with new ideas/alternative solutions. I just wonder if those who work indefatigueably will never drain their gift? I need some sort of spur-of-the-moment gift to continually work for over 5 or 6 hours.....

What you are feeling is totally normal ... welcome to the life of being a PhD student!!!

You'll learn to deal with the stress in your own way (some people exercise, I tend to eat lots of chocolate and watch crap daytime tv as an escape). Just make sure you don't end up sitting in a corner and rocking (sadly, I've been known to do this to - a sign things are not good!).

I have taken the weekend off totally - not even opened the door to my study (a miracle) - and feel a bit guilty but better than I have done for months! i am quite a workaholic in the sense that i feel guilty when i am not working and would rather be sat around but with my computer on and ready to go, than not at all. I am starting to learn that this is not healthy! I worry about being slack, seeing as I work for myself essentially, or about regretting not putting in 20 hour days at this stage somewhere down the line! is all irrational but when you in the middle of the fretting my word it is comsuming... Thanks for your help and for being so welcoming all!

"some people exercise, I tend to eat lots of chocolate and watch crap daytime tv as an escape"
Wow spot on that's me