Hi,

Long time lurker, infrequent poster. Wondered if anyone had experience with citalopram or other antidepressants? I have 2.5 months left to finish my corrections and had terrible depression since January.

Since starting the 10mg citalopram 6 weeks ago I've barely touched my work. Every time I sit with it I decide there's more important things in life and have even talked to my supervisor about not putting my corrections in (she was very surprised id proposed this so close to the end). I find it more difficult to concentrate on citalopram and am more relaxed about the prospect of failure. I just don't have the adrenaline and fear that used to motivate me to write.

That sounds bad, but they have helped me immensely in managing my sleep, help me cut down my drinking to zero and I'm looking after myself much better, plus no dark thoughts.

My supervisor thinks the move from depression to apathy is a sign my drugs are working but I'm worried the foggy head will mean I won't be able to work at the level required to finish my corrections.

TLDR: Should I risk depression by coming off antidepressants to clear my head and try and do my corrections, or stay on them in the hope my apathy will decrease?

Grateful for any responses.

Hi, thank you for your replies, they have given me a bit more certainty over my direction of travel. I think I expected my viva to be some big reckoning where I would succeed magnificently or fail horribly. Instead it was just kind of 'meh'. You get your PhD but there's a bunch more stuff to do first...

I'm going to ask my old DoS for advice and just work hard on getting them corrections as high quality as I can. Thanks again.

Hi all, first time poster in the UK, wish I'd known about this forum in my first few years! Anyway, looking for some advice now I've had my viva. Basically I've come out with majors and six months to do them :/ Still waiting for the full list too.

Every stage of a PhD is like learning a new set of strange rules and the corrections seem particularly mysterious to me. I have a lot of questions and wondered if anyone can help demystify things for me.

1. Is 6 months traditionally majors in most institutions? (I thought majors was 6-12 months).
2. What kind of relationship am I allowed with the external over the 6 months? I've been led to believe I can email for clarification but can't send written work apart from my final submission?
3. My old supervisor is an absolute expert in my topic and still helped me from time to time even though he left my uni 2 years ago. Am I allowed to share my amendments with him and seek his help or do I have to keep it within my current team. I'd usually not ask but the viva period seems very formal and rule bound, I was concerned I'd break some unwritten rule!
4. Probably shouldn't ask this.. but... Does anyone know anyone who has corrections rejected in the UK? (Asking for a paranoid friend 😉)

Thanks for any help or reassurance, it's been quite a journey as many of you will know!

Addendum - relationship between old and new supervisors is cordial. Think they're in touch 2/3 times a year.