Hi, I'm new to this forum and just wanted to say how reassuring it is to see how many people there are out there who seem to feel like me! I'm now in the final year of my PhD (hopefully!) and have been through some severe bouts of depression, particularly in my second year, followed by major anxiety and panic attacks. I'm now trying to write up, and constantly doubt the worth of my work, whether I will ever get there, how it will all hang together etc. Feeling dread about Monday morning is a horrible feeling, but its nice to know I'm not the only one finding it all really hard to deal with. Fingers crossed for us all!

I completely understand how you are feeling - I'm (hopefully) in my final year to and thinking ... will the writing ever end?, is my work good enough?, is it ever going to come together?, etc, etc, etc ...

I suppose that's why it's so important to have a good supervisor that you trust - because as long as they are happy with what I'm producing, then I'm happy enough to go along with that (i.e. they have more belief in me than I have in myself - which is important me thinks!).

funny you should say that Goods, I think part of the reason I've found it so hard is my supervisor! She's good in some ways, v proactive and willing to read things for me, but she's completely unsupportive on an emotional level. Also she's away in Australia quite a lot. When I was depressed I spoke to our head of PG studies (as my supervisor was away and I didnt have a 2nd supervisor) who said take some time off, but nobody in the uni ever followed up to see how I was doing - it's very hard thinking they just arent bothered! have seen the threads lately on problems with the system etc. and I would have to agree. Then again doing something that is in some ways so isolating is bound to take its toll I suppose. I just hope hope hope I get there in the end...!