[jjgbirder]

Has anyone ever been through graduate school and had problems with depression and anxiety? I am an M.S. student and had to switch to a non-thesis because doing research this summer was too stressful / overwhelming. I am currently depressed and anxious... I only have one more semester (I graduate in December)... and today I am having a particularly rough day for some reason. Reaching out for support.

[Skeezyks]

Hello jjgbirder: Okay... well... I'll tell you a story. It's been many years since I was in grad school. But, way back when, I pretty-much gave up everything in my life to go when the opportunity arose. I was, by the way, never a great student. My undergraduate years were an unmitigated disaster! It's a wonder I ever graduated.

So, anyway, during one of my first classes in grad school, a teaching assistant gave out an assignment on which we would be graded. It would be the first grade I would receive in my program. Well... the teaching assistant gave very inadequate instructions &, as a result, almost everyone in the class got a "D" (just above failure)... including me! Unfortunately, in my case, since I had always been such a poor student, & had given up so much to attend the program, it absolutely scared me to death! I spent the whole rest of the time I was in the program frightened to death I was going to flunk out! Talk about depression, stress & anxiety! I was already pretty stressed out to begin with & this experience nearly sent me over the edge...

Anyway... that's my story of depression & anxiety in grad school. Hope things begin to look up for you soon.

[jjgbirder]

Part of me wonders why I decided to go to graduate school. I thought I could do it, but it is just SO MUCH WORK! The pressure associated with the research is just too overwhelming for me. At this point, I don't care if I graduate with an M.S. at the end of this semester or not. I just want to finish and be done.

... and I know I'm not writing a thesis anymore, so that pressure is off of me... I just have anxiety related to the potential judgement from others, for not having finished. For having fallen apart and broken down.

[Fizzyo]

[jjgbirder]

I think I have a few fears:

1. I am unable to keep up with workloads this semester
2. My depression / anxiety ends up becoming an "excuse" for things
3. I don't get my M.S.
4. I have future trouble finding "meaningful" careers

[starryprince]

Hey JJGBirder! I'm currently in graduate school for forensic mental health counseling and I suffer with depression and anxiety as well! It can be very difficult. If it ever gets to be too much, definitely talk to your professors. I did that for the first time last semester and my professor was very nice about it. The problem was that I wasn't keeping up with my readings, I couldn't focus, everything seemed really difficult. Then I had my counseling externship, and it was extremely tough because I had all of my problems going on, but I had to be a counselor to these individuals who ALSO had so many things going on in their lives.

My new semester starts in 2 weeks and I am very anxious because it's my last semester. Meaning when I graduate I have to find a job and I'm finally going to be in the "real world".

Much of your fears are similar to mine, especially worrying that my mental health issues will be seen as "excuses". It saddened me when my supervisor at my externship actually looked at me and said, "Well you have this externship and you go to school, so you can't be THAT depressed".

People will be cruel and judgmental, but you'll also have the people who will be kind and considerate. You've made it this far and I believe you will be fine in the future!

If you ever need to talk, you can message me! Good luck!

[jjgbirder]

This will be my last semester too, because I'm now a non-thesis. I just became too overwhelmed with field work, trying to contact landowners, and misc. office work related to my thesis research... I may have made a few mistakes too in how I planned the summer and worry I may have essentially "jinxed" myself... yet part of me thinks I would have been too overwhelmed to have completed a full-blown thesis irregardless.

My advisor told me to stop collecting data and she suggested I change to non-thesis to graduate sooner. I still have to write up a report, but at least it's not a 60 page, 2 chapter, must-be publishable piece. She also told me that she "was not mad at me" which helps... At the moment, I'm just hoping to make it through the semester in one piece.

[Fizzyo]

Best of luck. Take it steady one task at a time, then you will get there. Thanks for sharing.

[Fuzzybear]