Hi all,

I'll try to summarise my PhD thus far and then explain the advice I need. My studies began really well up until the year before my transfer exam - it was around then that I had serious family problems that essentially left me working as a part time carer for a family member. I did the best I could to keep up with work despite this, but as the stress from home and the pressure from work built up my progress screeched to a halt. I felt unable to discuss the highly personal I family problems with my supervisors and was left with no where else to turn, and ultimately I failed my transfer to PhD, being told instead to finish an MPhil due to not having enough time to finish all the work. I appealed this based on the department's poor support in various areas and explained the family problems that had affected me and this was accepted and I was granted a very reasonable extension.

BUT I'm having problems even now. My tutor has become increasingly aggressive and insulting towards me.,I understand they are frustrated with my lack of progress in the past but they are aware of the circumstances of my appeal - I was both underfunded and seriously compromised by problems at home. Nevertheless they keep sending me very curt emails about lack of certain work, absence from whatever seminars that I wasn't told to attend, times when I replied to emails but then had to change statements later, times when I DIDN'T reply to emails fast enough... I once emailed them personally asking for advice about submission, and they gave me a very angry reply which they forwarded to all my other supervisors and tutors! The embarrassment, I just wanted to die.