Thanks, monkia! I've been volunteering with homeless outreach and I think I'd like to get more involved an look at career options around that. It's a massive change but it's something I really care about and I think that's worth pursuing. Good luck with your situation!

Thanks for all your replies, and apologies for the delay in responding. I haven't spoken to my supervisor about it yet.

The main reason for wanting to leave is simply that I don't think I'm cut out for the pressures that come along with research at this level. I've always been pushed to succeed academically and so have sort of blindly followed this path. Don't get me wrong, I know I *can* do it. I'm just not sure how much I want to. My masters was 2 years of utter hell. I was depressed and miserable, and spent the whole time beating myself up that my work wasn't good enough. Turns out it was- my examiners praised my thesis very highly, despite my data collection being enormously inadequate (not my fault). You think I'd have learned from that experience but I had a combination of project and supervisor issues that I "blamed", and managed to convince myself that I'd feel differently about this. Now, I have a great supervisor, a great project, great support... I'm at a really good uni, I have money. There isn't anything to blame this time. But I'm feeling the anxiety and misery creep back in. I absolutely don't want to spend the next 3-4 years like that again.

On top of that, I think that my interests have changed so much over the last 18months or so that I don't even want to be in this field anymore.

I'm pretty worried about speaking to my supervisor as I just feel like I'm letting everyone down!

Hi, I’m hoping to get some perspective and reassurance on my decision to quit my PhD. I’m three months in, fully funded , great university, great project. But... it’s just not for me. I’ve known this since I started, although I explained my doubts away by the fact that I’d just stared and hoped I’d settle into things. Before Christmas, I was enormously depressed. Over Christmas I’ve had some time away and it’s given me some clarity. I decided inwardly that I didn’t want to continue. I felt hugely relieved and I feel my cloud has lifted!

However! There’s still a part of me that is worried about letting go. It’s like I’m caught between what I think I should want and what I really want. I also don’t have a solid plan for life afterwards, although I’m pursuing some avenues.

Not sure what I’m hoping for from posting but I guess just some reassurance that this isn’t the most stupid decision ever made. My family are, understandably, reluctant to lean heavily one way or another but I’d just really like someone to back me up in this!I think I’d like to know that people have quit and gone on to lead full and happy lives!