Does anyone else wonder if doing a psychology degree and worse still a PhD is bad for your mental health? I am starting to think it might be. Also - having fallen into a PhD by accident - I often wonder whether I should abandon it completely and go and live on a commune somewhere - or maybe be a goat herder in the Himalayas. Does anyone else know what I mean? Why should I bother? Nobody gives a bugger anyway?

Ah, but you gave a bugger when you began, no? Don't worry, we all get to this point... sometimes we even act upon it (sounds like fun - commune in the Himalayas). Yeah, doing a PhD is strange and few people 'get it' unless they're involved in one... that said, there are highs amongst the lows and it feeds the brain.

Hi, Nice to chat to you. I only hope I don't turn into one of those academic types with frizzy hair, bad clothes and no awareness of reality. Oh - too late. It's happened already. Maybe I should just start wearing socks and sandals now and talking about pretentious stuff at dinner parties while other guests glaze over. Actually I might - just for fun. Are you a psychology sort then?

Hi, Nice to chat to you. I only hope I don't turn into one of those academic types with frizzy hair, bad clothes and no awareness of reality. Oh - too late. It's happened already. Maybe I should just start wearing socks and sandals now and talking about pretentious stuff at dinner parties while other guests glaze over. Actually I might - just for fun. Are you a psychology sort then?

Hi Trixie, I completed my PhD in psychology and there were some bad times, but I got through them!

You will too

So it's Dr Kronkodile. Well done. So there is light at the end of the tunnel - a real life survivor!

Hiya

Another psych student here. I think we have all felt like that at some point. Goat and yak herding have seemed great career moves at many points for me!

You will get there.

Can I ask what is your research on? Those of you who do psychology...

Blimey o'reilly!

Hi Guys. In answer to Sara's question, my research is being done in a couple of prisons looking at the mental health of violent offenders - not very fluffy, but quite interesting. All a bit Silence of the Lambs isn't it? I'm interested to know what areas you are all in though.

I suppose Im looking at cognitive psychology in some aspect- auditory perception.

Mine is health related, in the pain arena. By the way, I do think that all PhD students feel like this at some point, I honestly don't think that this is specific only to psychology.

Cognitive neuropsychology - task switching. I always thought working in a florist's might be a nice gentle sort of occupation.

I think that PhDs in general are bad for your mental health, but it is surprising how little consideration of this you get in psychology departments (where you would hope someone knows something about the subject). And watch out for the socks and sandals!

Hey fellow fluffy (maybe it is a psychology thing!)

Hey! My PhD's on the interaction between emotion and attention in Psychopaths. Right now, I'm the most stressed I've ever been in my life.

Where are you studying?