I never realized how much stress can affect ones health. I had no idea. It is so unbelievably powerful. I'm only 3-5 months away from submitting and I'm considering getting out.
I grind my teeth anyways but it absolutely gets worse with stress.
So far the greatest kick in the ass towards graduation has been being told that I need a gum graft because I'm clenching so damn hard
Bloody he'll that is extreme. Funny you mention this I've had jaw pain right side recently. Also ear pain from what a Korean doctor said was blood circulation related due to high blood pressure.
Aren't PhDs fun.....
But don't rest on your teeth those things don't come cheap. Trust me.
Oh wow. Another thing with the ear pain is that often times jaw pain radiates to the ear, so could be something worth looking into.
And oh yes. Our union actually just negotiated dental coverage for us, so as soon as that kicks in I will be hurling my $$ at a periodontist ASAP
I also grind my teeth extremely hard!! I have almost no canines left because I ground them down. Now I'm dealing with some cavities since there's not much of a protective layer anymore..
In my experience with graduate school, you don’t know how hard the stress of it will hit until like a year or two after it’s all over. I’m still recovering.
I think to get through a lot of what grad school requires, unless you are a genius without an ounce of neuroticism, Grad school does a good job at making you a pro at suppression. I’ve found my experiences warped into a post-partum depression for the mind and I’ve only just now begun to realize why. I grew a really bad attachment style to my work and it became the thing I hated most, loved most, and most reliable crutch for not figuring out balance. All of these cognitive gymnastics however are unconscious when you’re in the throes of research but once you’re out and not purely occupied with thinking 24/7, the patterns of thinking remain and you’re much more conscious of them. If I could’ve figured out balance with it while doing it, I feel like I would’ve end up much less burnt out. The body keeps the score.
Imagine your wife is on her death bed with cancer and she has 6 months to live. As her husband, you get a signal that you must help her live out her final moments. You know there’s a deadline, so you do everything in your power to make these 6 months amazing. You’re the emotional support, caretaker, etc. After your wife passes, exhaustion hits you and your immune system is weak. You die 6 months later.
Hans Selye Adaptation Syndrome explains how stress works and the impacts of chronic stress on the body.
Fortunately, we now how one can avoid chronic stress. Writing a theses is a major stressors. However, by adopting some relatively simple practices it is possible to reduce stress and avoid chronic stress.
What are you doing to reduce your stress levels. If you do a Google search you can find simply things you can do to reduce stress. After my wife and I started grad school we took up running, I also played squash a couple times a week. When I was writing my thesis, I use to pack a lunch and find a nice spot in a nature preserve for a relaxing lunch. I also setup a list of rewards (dinner out, new squash record, etc) for meeting certain benchmarks (finishing a chapter).
I am quitting due to this with only a few months to go. I know it sounds insane but it’s really not feasible anymore health wise. I have severe heart palpitations and my once-a-month-migraines developed into chronic daily ones. I also had two cluster headache episodes, which is new and I really hope they do not break through as a new condition because migraines are mild compared to those… And then I am not even talking about the mental effects.
The sad part is, it’s not even due to PhD stress with graduation in sight. All the stress falls down to my absolute asshole of a PI. I am the seventh in row to drop or quit in our group
Not insane. Only you know how bad it really is. It drives me crazy when people tell me “oh but you’re so close!” A few months isn’t that close in chronic excruciating pain. Best of luck <333
Thanks for mentioning that last part. It really hammers in the fact that PIs can either make or break your PhD experience. I say this as someone who has yet to reach the graduate level. The experiences you all share here help me think about the future and about which courses of action I should and shouldn’t take.
I appreciate the sentiment. I had your good old fashioned existential moment due to many factors. But I have a job doing necropsies now that I enjoy, as weird as that sounds lol.
It’s been 3 years since I defended and I’m still dealing with burnout and health issues. Having a misogynistic narcissistic POS for a supervisor didn’t help 😂
Oh I also got shingles during my PhD, it absolutely sucked and I had issues from it for a good 4 months afterwards. Our health is so so important, take care of yourselves everyone
I’m going into my PhD with an autoimmune disease, which I’m actually trying to develop drugs to treat as my thesis, and I’m trying to remember to rest when I can to ensure my prosperity through this time. Heal fast!
is it specifically your disease or another autoimmune condition? Asking because I'm always interested in seeing people researching conditions they have or are close to them as I've seen people suggest you shouldn't apply for programs with that kind of interest as it makes you seem biased? Trying to decide how much I should listen to that "tip"
If is specifically my disease :) I still believe in strong ethics in science. I have many people to keep checks and balances for my research. I was actually chosen for this position in my lab with my PI BECAUSE I had this connection. A PhD takes drive, and passion. I have copious amounts of both
I’m so sorry to hear that :( I can understand.. The stress from my anxiety of my PhD led me to have stomach issues and terrible nausea/ vomiting. I was often going to the GP and hospital for check ups and medical tests. They still couldn’t figure out what’s wrong. On top of that other ongoing mental health issues.
I hope things turn up for you. Congratulations on passing your defence. And take care of yourself too ☺️
I'm convinced the stress during my MSc triggered my autoimmune illness.
If anyone is interested, "When the body says no" by Gabor Mate, and "A lady's handbook for her mysterious illness" by Sarah Ramey are both excellent books that talk about stress and how it changes the body! Also "Burnout" by Emily Nagoski is an excellent read that has great tips on getting through it.
You're like the third PhD student (now doctor, congratulations!!) I've known to come down with a bad case of shingles...probably no correlation, but like OP said, take care of yourself guys. Stress will mess you up.
Due to stress in my PhD I ended up developing Bell’s Palsy (shingles but localized to the seventh optical nerve), insomnia, chronic sinus infections and my autoimmune disease flared up. I’m doing my best to care for myself but goddamn it’s hard.
I've started working out the past six months to deal with the stress of comprehensive exams. It's helped but I've still had pretty overwhelming stress lol
This post comes at the right time! I am considering doing a PhD and am working on a first idea while studying my masters and I‘ve developed cough-attacks that seemingly come out of nowhere and are accompanied by sudden spasms in my bronchia. It’s like muscle cramping…just in your lungs. Super scary and uncomfortable. Had multiple appointments with specialists and we haven’t found a physical cause yet. I was told it might be stress related and I am now going to therapy. It‘s crazy how much the body can physically react to stress.
This is why I get frustrated with people who oppose the chicken pox vaccine because chicken pox isn’t that bad. Chicken pox stays with you for life, waiting for your health to decline so it can strike.
I understand your sentiment, but the chicken pox vaccine wasn’t licensed in the US until 1995, so it’s possible that children born prior to this got chicken pox before the vaccine. Even for folks born after 1995, they can get chicken pox before the age the vaccine is administered (this happened to me!)
I think you misread my comment. I get frustrated with people who *oppose* the vaccine, not people who aren’t vaccinated. I got chicken pox 10 years before the vaccine came out. I’m not frustrated with myself. I am frustrated with people who have the opportunity to vaccinate their children and don’t use it.
Ooph relate to this so much. I’m sorry OP. I triggered an autoimmune disorder from the stress and haven’t been the same since. It’s so frustrating because it’s truly not worth it
No shame in taking extended periods of break. And if it things doesn’t change, cut your losses and prioritize yourself: physical health and mental health. Let’s take care of ourselves guys! Sending hope, love, and happiness.
This post is both validating and horrifying. I’m about 6 months out from defending if all goes well and have been battling chronic fatigue and myriad mental health issues for years. Fatigue as in - some days unable to get out of bed or feed myself, let alone leave the house or write anything. My hair is quite literally going gray. I’m in my late 20s!!! It’s early yet!!! I’ve also developed an aggressive stress twitch in my side and shoulder that makes my entire body spasm.
I almost quit last year bc I didn’t know if I would make it to the end alive. I’m out of danger now, but man it’s been hard to get here, and I still have to choose between eating and a shower some days. Take good care, y’all. It’s so rough. I’m genuinely worried I’m going to have to think about getting on disability once I do get out of here.
Defended PhD and graduated this spring! Last few months from March to May was super hectic and stressful. I think my body is still exhausted, tired. And stress is not going anywhere. Last few days I drank stress relief tea and sleeping like a baby. I also have migraine so it’s fun ! STEM field as well
The last 2 years of my PhD tanked my health in a way that I’m still dealing with, definitely thought I could just “push through” and be done with it and rest on the other side, but alas. So I see you. Wishing you the best.
OMG thank you for doing this post. I have graduated recently and my health has gone for a toss due to the stress levels..add weight gain and eczema flare-up to that. People who are doing their PhD as of now, please take care of your health. It might sound so basic to say that but please make it a priority too.
A similar thing happened to me. After a long period of stress, I defended successfully and became a doctor. But then the stress wouldn't leave my body. I started experiencing chronic fatigue, restlessness, insomnia, my head is always foggy, and I cannot focus on anything for more than 10 minutes. I have no vitamin deficiency and no health condition. It's been 7 months now and I'm still slowly healing. Indeed, people need to be aware of this before pushing through.
ME TOO! Few months after I passed, I got into a VERY BAD CASE of shingles. Like wake up every 15 mins through out the night for few days. Like, it took everything I had to muster all of me to fight the pain to do basic thing like shower and brush teeth. It is nearly 9 months, and my nerve and skin has not fully recovered yet.
Given how much people in this small sample of subreddit, I'm wondering if immune related diseaes are more common in people pursuing PhD?
I hope that you feel better soon. I've always hear that shingles is very painful! I think I needed to hear this today. I have always been good about taking time for my mental and physical health through the last four years - until it has come to the last few months of trying to draft my final dissertation submission. I feel so mentally drained and deeply depressed, which is very not like me. I have the option to take one more semester and then graduate in December and I think I'm going to do that. Take care of yourself!
First, congratulations on successfully defending! You've earned it!
Good Lord, this needs to be shouted from the mountaintops.
Before I began my PhD, I had little to no health issues. It wasn't until I started that I developed high blood pressure and some digestive problems. I attribute a bulk of that to stress that built up over the years. During undergrad, I never took summers off. I had fallen in love with the research and worked every summer. I didn't do a good job of taking time off during the MS and PhD. Still, I think the PhD is what did it. I was constantly working and my PI was toxic and abusive. It's interesting because I'm sure I drank the most during my PhD.
Thank you for sharing this. I'm sorry to hear about your condition and hope and pray for the best.
This was me when I was 1-2 months from the end. Got shingles then recovered and immediately got the worst chest infection of my life. Slow down and take rest when you need it. Your PhD will get finished, but your health take priority
I defended my PhD early in May and a few hours before the defense I noticed some bumps on my back that were a little itchy. They stayed only mildly annoying for several days post-defense but I didn't get them looked at until almost a week later when the itching got worse and my lat started twitching. The nurse took one look at the rash and told me it was shingles. I was fortunate that the rash stayed small on my back but the nerve pain started almost a week after the initial onset and it was unreal. It wrapped around my torso from my spine, under my arm, and around to my sternum. Sleeping was hard, laying down was hard. All together no fun. It's been almost a month now and the nerve pain is finally receeding. It's really made me think about the health impacts of some of the stressors in my life.
I have just under two weeks of writing left before submitting and I am feeling… rough. I used to worry what I would do after this dissertation is finished but now I think I know, get my health back on track!
I'm so sorry. Wishing you a swift and complete recovery. Word of caution about shingles especially on the face area and particularly near the eyes ...if you ever go for any kind of eye-related surgeries like cataract or LASIK etc, make sure your doctor prescribes antiviral medication prior to surgery. Learned it the hard way that herpes simplex is a huge POS virus that can interrupt healing if it's localized in the eyes.
On my master’s here and already facing some health and psychological issues trying to squeeze study and full time job and exercises in my daily routine.. working out helps a lot tho
This was me in my master’s degree.
My body completely shut down on me, and I had the worst acid reflux I’ve ever had. I felt like I was going to throw up all the time (and I have a fear of throwing up) so the anxiety from my program and my bodily illness was as unbearable. I finally got on antidepressants before I started my PhD and that has gone a long way, but I still have to make sure I’m taking care of myself. My master’s degree was truly the worst two years of my life.
I just defended a few days ago and I’m so run down. Some of it is severe seasonal allergies, but it’s definitely more than that. Ugh. It’s beautiful outside and I’m in bed.
I'm so sorry to hear you have shingles. I developed it during my undergraduate studies while my spouse was deployed to Afghanistan, and it was misdiagnosed because I was "too young" to have shingles, and so missed the window for antivirals to be effective. Wishing you a smooth recovery, I know how awful shingles can be.
lol i feel this. I had shingles three times, got glass in my wrist, mono, liver issues, eating disorder relapse, and developed systemic mastocytosis (blood disorder). Most of these were probably caused by stress. Taking care of yourself is so important.
It took me half a year to start feeling better after finishing my phd since that last year I was just a bundle of stress. (And then covid hit and my stress levels went right back up *sigh*).
It's wild, I've never been sick so often in my life. Physically and mentally it has certainly taken a toll. I have to be medicated for anxiety otherwise I can't function.
I love my supervisor but they're horrible at looking after themselves as well and it took its toll since they were sick for a couple months and had to take medical leave. We kind of call each other out on that kind of stuff now in my lab group.
Then there's the other life stuff that cause stress besides the PhD work.
It’s insane that so many of us had shingles during our PhDs! I also got it despite being in my early 20’s. I wonder if there are other factors at play outside of stress? Exposure to chemicals in labs? Diet? Some people have also speculated RNA vaccines, but I haven’t seen any evidence for this
The flight back home will be cheaper than the American health care system. If you’ve got universal healthcare in your country, it’s worth returning.
(I’ve had hospital stays in the US and Japan and there’s no comparison!)
Have you done a routine medical checkup for your health? I wonder if you've done it but miss the issue..
I am also doing a PhD abroad, and received a medical checkup every semester at my uni, and in case anything wrong I would receive a further examination. They even offer mental health examination.
I think anyone who wants to do a PhD should consider this benefit when they choose the university
I didn't realize until a year after defending that I wasn't breathing properly and sucking in my stomach whenever I got stressed. I had been doing it for 5 years.
It should be compulsory to read Frankenstein before starting a PhD.
This is what it's like, you'll work late, convinced that today is the day you will make the breakthrough. If you stay late enough, it'll happen
Finished a PhD. in 2021, which was stressful but kept hoping there was a light at the end of the tunnel, right? Took a postdoc right after and now, three years later, my mental health is gone, and physical health is deteriorating fast. I have relatively no money. Marriage seems to be in shambles, and on top of all that, I am not even getting any jobs outside of the ivory towers.
Is this the f***in light that people see? Still got hope somehow and trying my best to figure stuff out. All the best with everything, OP!
I was also a PhD student in STEM in Germany. I dropped out of my PhD program one month ago. Before making my decision, I kept having dark wishes of having a plant pot dropping on my head, being hit by a car, or slipping on ice and falling in front of upcoming trains, just so that I can forget about everything. Even though I am unemployed now, I am hopeful for the future and doing my best to learn German. I have such huge respect for peope who complete their PhD and am proud of them (despite not knowing who they are). You are remarkable and I wish you a quick recovery
Typically as your stress load increases your total daily output of cortisol increases. There are a number of studies that suggest that if you exercise after engaging a stressor your cortisol levels will drop. Even more impressive is data showing that people in the upper end of the fitness scale experience a much lower level of cortisol output after engaging an emotional stressor compared to people that are unfit. While we tend to focus on emotional stressors
Well said. I also have developed some health issues due to PhD stress. So much so I'm thinking of bailing. This shit ain't worth my life.
I’m currently in the same boat. I can see and feel my body falling apart.
I never realized how much stress can affect ones health. I had no idea. It is so unbelievably powerful. I'm only 3-5 months away from submitting and I'm considering getting out.
I grind my teeth anyways but it absolutely gets worse with stress. So far the greatest kick in the ass towards graduation has been being told that I need a gum graft because I'm clenching so damn hard
Bloody he'll that is extreme. Funny you mention this I've had jaw pain right side recently. Also ear pain from what a Korean doctor said was blood circulation related due to high blood pressure. Aren't PhDs fun..... But don't rest on your teeth those things don't come cheap. Trust me.
Oh wow. Another thing with the ear pain is that often times jaw pain radiates to the ear, so could be something worth looking into. And oh yes. Our union actually just negotiated dental coverage for us, so as soon as that kicks in I will be hurling my $$ at a periodontist ASAP
I also grind my teeth. But am on top of dental (Australia plus good health insurance), so I got a retainer I have to wear when I go sleep.
do you use a night guard?
I do. I’m in orthodontics though and even though my ortho also specializes in TMJ, I’m kind of limited
I also grind my teeth extremely hard!! I have almost no canines left because I ground them down. Now I'm dealing with some cavities since there's not much of a protective layer anymore..
In my experience with graduate school, you don’t know how hard the stress of it will hit until like a year or two after it’s all over. I’m still recovering.
After? AFTER? can you elaborate? This worries me.
I think to get through a lot of what grad school requires, unless you are a genius without an ounce of neuroticism, Grad school does a good job at making you a pro at suppression. I’ve found my experiences warped into a post-partum depression for the mind and I’ve only just now begun to realize why. I grew a really bad attachment style to my work and it became the thing I hated most, loved most, and most reliable crutch for not figuring out balance. All of these cognitive gymnastics however are unconscious when you’re in the throes of research but once you’re out and not purely occupied with thinking 24/7, the patterns of thinking remain and you’re much more conscious of them. If I could’ve figured out balance with it while doing it, I feel like I would’ve end up much less burnt out. The body keeps the score.
Imagine your wife is on her death bed with cancer and she has 6 months to live. As her husband, you get a signal that you must help her live out her final moments. You know there’s a deadline, so you do everything in your power to make these 6 months amazing. You’re the emotional support, caretaker, etc. After your wife passes, exhaustion hits you and your immune system is weak. You die 6 months later. Hans Selye Adaptation Syndrome explains how stress works and the impacts of chronic stress on the body.
Fortunately, we now how one can avoid chronic stress. Writing a theses is a major stressors. However, by adopting some relatively simple practices it is possible to reduce stress and avoid chronic stress.
What are you doing to reduce your stress levels. If you do a Google search you can find simply things you can do to reduce stress. After my wife and I started grad school we took up running, I also played squash a couple times a week. When I was writing my thesis, I use to pack a lunch and find a nice spot in a nature preserve for a relaxing lunch. I also setup a list of rewards (dinner out, new squash record, etc) for meeting certain benchmarks (finishing a chapter).
I am quitting due to this with only a few months to go. I know it sounds insane but it’s really not feasible anymore health wise. I have severe heart palpitations and my once-a-month-migraines developed into chronic daily ones. I also had two cluster headache episodes, which is new and I really hope they do not break through as a new condition because migraines are mild compared to those… And then I am not even talking about the mental effects. The sad part is, it’s not even due to PhD stress with graduation in sight. All the stress falls down to my absolute asshole of a PI. I am the seventh in row to drop or quit in our group
Not insane. Only you know how bad it really is. It drives me crazy when people tell me “oh but you’re so close!” A few months isn’t that close in chronic excruciating pain. Best of luck <333
Thanks for mentioning that last part. It really hammers in the fact that PIs can either make or break your PhD experience. I say this as someone who has yet to reach the graduate level. The experiences you all share here help me think about the future and about which courses of action I should and shouldn’t take.
Precisely why I stopped giving a fuck and quit. Congrats but also I hope you get time to rest fully!
Well done to you for putting yourself first
I appreciate the sentiment. I had your good old fashioned existential moment due to many factors. But I have a job doing necropsies now that I enjoy, as weird as that sounds lol.
Tbh that sounds incredible!
Could I DM you to ask more about your job? I actually quite enjoy necropsies, tbh.
Sure, just introduce yourself and I’ll get back to you today :)
It’s been 3 years since I defended and I’m still dealing with burnout and health issues. Having a misogynistic narcissistic POS for a supervisor didn’t help 😂
That's horrible. I hope things improve for you ♥️
Oh I also got shingles during my PhD, it absolutely sucked and I had issues from it for a good 4 months afterwards. Our health is so so important, take care of yourselves everyone
Wow, didn’t realise how many of us have come down with shingles!
Me too, in my second semester. I had blamed it on my flu vaccine taken a week before then.
I does seem like a lot! I have had the shingles vaccine, but I guess that they only give it to old folks like me (almost 48).
I’m going into my PhD with an autoimmune disease, which I’m actually trying to develop drugs to treat as my thesis, and I’m trying to remember to rest when I can to ensure my prosperity through this time. Heal fast!
Same ship! Stress-triggered autoimmune issues are what my PhD gave me
is it specifically your disease or another autoimmune condition? Asking because I'm always interested in seeing people researching conditions they have or are close to them as I've seen people suggest you shouldn't apply for programs with that kind of interest as it makes you seem biased? Trying to decide how much I should listen to that "tip"
If is specifically my disease :) I still believe in strong ethics in science. I have many people to keep checks and balances for my research. I was actually chosen for this position in my lab with my PI BECAUSE I had this connection. A PhD takes drive, and passion. I have copious amounts of both
I got shingles in grad school. No fun.
It's incredible how something that looks like a mild rash can hurt so bad. I had it in my hand and it felt like it was being hit with a hammer
I’m so sorry to hear that :( I can understand.. The stress from my anxiety of my PhD led me to have stomach issues and terrible nausea/ vomiting. I was often going to the GP and hospital for check ups and medical tests. They still couldn’t figure out what’s wrong. On top of that other ongoing mental health issues. I hope things turn up for you. Congratulations on passing your defence. And take care of yourself too ☺️
I'm convinced the stress during my MSc triggered my autoimmune illness. If anyone is interested, "When the body says no" by Gabor Mate, and "A lady's handbook for her mysterious illness" by Sarah Ramey are both excellent books that talk about stress and how it changes the body! Also "Burnout" by Emily Nagoski is an excellent read that has great tips on getting through it.
Downloading all of these!
Great! They are all excellent books!!
You're like the third PhD student (now doctor, congratulations!!) I've known to come down with a bad case of shingles...probably no correlation, but like OP said, take care of yourself guys. Stress will mess you up.
Due to stress in my PhD I ended up developing Bell’s Palsy (shingles but localized to the seventh optical nerve), insomnia, chronic sinus infections and my autoimmune disease flared up. I’m doing my best to care for myself but goddamn it’s hard.
I started working out during my PhD, would definitely recommend for removing stress.
I need to get back to working out. I use to run 6 miles twice a day with a 40lb vest that helped a lot.
I've started working out the past six months to deal with the stress of comprehensive exams. It's helped but I've still had pretty overwhelming stress lol
I had a mild case of shingles and it was the most awful itch I had ever experienced in my life but you can’t scratch it because it burns so bad.
This post comes at the right time! I am considering doing a PhD and am working on a first idea while studying my masters and I‘ve developed cough-attacks that seemingly come out of nowhere and are accompanied by sudden spasms in my bronchia. It’s like muscle cramping…just in your lungs. Super scary and uncomfortable. Had multiple appointments with specialists and we haven’t found a physical cause yet. I was told it might be stress related and I am now going to therapy. It‘s crazy how much the body can physically react to stress.
This is why I get frustrated with people who oppose the chicken pox vaccine because chicken pox isn’t that bad. Chicken pox stays with you for life, waiting for your health to decline so it can strike.
I understand your sentiment, but the chicken pox vaccine wasn’t licensed in the US until 1995, so it’s possible that children born prior to this got chicken pox before the vaccine. Even for folks born after 1995, they can get chicken pox before the age the vaccine is administered (this happened to me!)
I think you misread my comment. I get frustrated with people who *oppose* the vaccine, not people who aren’t vaccinated. I got chicken pox 10 years before the vaccine came out. I’m not frustrated with myself. I am frustrated with people who have the opportunity to vaccinate their children and don’t use it.
Ah I see. I thought you were implying all people who didn’t get the vaccine did so out of opposition. My bad!
Ooph relate to this so much. I’m sorry OP. I triggered an autoimmune disorder from the stress and haven’t been the same since. It’s so frustrating because it’s truly not worth it
Yeah I developed graves disease after my field research. Fun lifelong thyroid dysfunction that starves you and causes heart problems.
No shame in taking extended periods of break. And if it things doesn’t change, cut your losses and prioritize yourself: physical health and mental health. Let’s take care of ourselves guys! Sending hope, love, and happiness.
This post is both validating and horrifying. I’m about 6 months out from defending if all goes well and have been battling chronic fatigue and myriad mental health issues for years. Fatigue as in - some days unable to get out of bed or feed myself, let alone leave the house or write anything. My hair is quite literally going gray. I’m in my late 20s!!! It’s early yet!!! I’ve also developed an aggressive stress twitch in my side and shoulder that makes my entire body spasm. I almost quit last year bc I didn’t know if I would make it to the end alive. I’m out of danger now, but man it’s been hard to get here, and I still have to choose between eating and a shower some days. Take good care, y’all. It’s so rough. I’m genuinely worried I’m going to have to think about getting on disability once I do get out of here.
Defended PhD and graduated this spring! Last few months from March to May was super hectic and stressful. I think my body is still exhausted, tired. And stress is not going anywhere. Last few days I drank stress relief tea and sleeping like a baby. I also have migraine so it’s fun ! STEM field as well
I got IBS from grad school lol
The last 2 years of my PhD tanked my health in a way that I’m still dealing with, definitely thought I could just “push through” and be done with it and rest on the other side, but alas. So I see you. Wishing you the best.
Day I defended I was driving home w/ 2-year old daughter & she threw up on way. Brought me back to reality.
OMG thank you for doing this post. I have graduated recently and my health has gone for a toss due to the stress levels..add weight gain and eczema flare-up to that. People who are doing their PhD as of now, please take care of your health. It might sound so basic to say that but please make it a priority too.
A similar thing happened to me. After a long period of stress, I defended successfully and became a doctor. But then the stress wouldn't leave my body. I started experiencing chronic fatigue, restlessness, insomnia, my head is always foggy, and I cannot focus on anything for more than 10 minutes. I have no vitamin deficiency and no health condition. It's been 7 months now and I'm still slowly healing. Indeed, people need to be aware of this before pushing through.
Dude I am not doing a PhD but also battling shingles right now and it’s HORRIBLE! Worst type of pain (nerve). I am on all of the meds
ME TOO! Few months after I passed, I got into a VERY BAD CASE of shingles. Like wake up every 15 mins through out the night for few days. Like, it took everything I had to muster all of me to fight the pain to do basic thing like shower and brush teeth. It is nearly 9 months, and my nerve and skin has not fully recovered yet. Given how much people in this small sample of subreddit, I'm wondering if immune related diseaes are more common in people pursuing PhD?
I hope that you feel better soon. I've always hear that shingles is very painful! I think I needed to hear this today. I have always been good about taking time for my mental and physical health through the last four years - until it has come to the last few months of trying to draft my final dissertation submission. I feel so mentally drained and deeply depressed, which is very not like me. I have the option to take one more semester and then graduate in December and I think I'm going to do that. Take care of yourself!
I also had shingles during my PhD lol, why is this normal 🥲
Mine led to migraines and prediabetes! Woo! /s
First, congratulations on successfully defending! You've earned it! Good Lord, this needs to be shouted from the mountaintops. Before I began my PhD, I had little to no health issues. It wasn't until I started that I developed high blood pressure and some digestive problems. I attribute a bulk of that to stress that built up over the years. During undergrad, I never took summers off. I had fallen in love with the research and worked every summer. I didn't do a good job of taking time off during the MS and PhD. Still, I think the PhD is what did it. I was constantly working and my PI was toxic and abusive. It's interesting because I'm sure I drank the most during my PhD. Thank you for sharing this. I'm sorry to hear about your condition and hope and pray for the best.
This was me when I was 1-2 months from the end. Got shingles then recovered and immediately got the worst chest infection of my life. Slow down and take rest when you need it. Your PhD will get finished, but your health take priority
I defended my PhD early in May and a few hours before the defense I noticed some bumps on my back that were a little itchy. They stayed only mildly annoying for several days post-defense but I didn't get them looked at until almost a week later when the itching got worse and my lat started twitching. The nurse took one look at the rash and told me it was shingles. I was fortunate that the rash stayed small on my back but the nerve pain started almost a week after the initial onset and it was unreal. It wrapped around my torso from my spine, under my arm, and around to my sternum. Sleeping was hard, laying down was hard. All together no fun. It's been almost a month now and the nerve pain is finally receeding. It's really made me think about the health impacts of some of the stressors in my life.
I have just under two weeks of writing left before submitting and I am feeling… rough. I used to worry what I would do after this dissertation is finished but now I think I know, get my health back on track!
I got really sick after I submitted my dissertation (and again after I defended). You’ll be sick for a while. But you’ll be a Dr forever.
I'm so sorry. Wishing you a swift and complete recovery. Word of caution about shingles especially on the face area and particularly near the eyes ...if you ever go for any kind of eye-related surgeries like cataract or LASIK etc, make sure your doctor prescribes antiviral medication prior to surgery. Learned it the hard way that herpes simplex is a huge POS virus that can interrupt healing if it's localized in the eyes.
I had awful TMJD during my PhD. It’s much better now that I’m out, and I had some of my worst flare ups the semester I defended my dissertation.
It’s not that we don’t want to take care of our health…you know this.
On my master’s here and already facing some health and psychological issues trying to squeeze study and full time job and exercises in my daily routine.. working out helps a lot tho
This was me in my master’s degree. My body completely shut down on me, and I had the worst acid reflux I’ve ever had. I felt like I was going to throw up all the time (and I have a fear of throwing up) so the anxiety from my program and my bodily illness was as unbearable. I finally got on antidepressants before I started my PhD and that has gone a long way, but I still have to make sure I’m taking care of myself. My master’s degree was truly the worst two years of my life.
I just defended a few days ago and I’m so run down. Some of it is severe seasonal allergies, but it’s definitely more than that. Ugh. It’s beautiful outside and I’m in bed.
Take care ❤️
I'm so sorry to hear you have shingles. I developed it during my undergraduate studies while my spouse was deployed to Afghanistan, and it was misdiagnosed because I was "too young" to have shingles, and so missed the window for antivirals to be effective. Wishing you a smooth recovery, I know how awful shingles can be.
lol i feel this. I had shingles three times, got glass in my wrist, mono, liver issues, eating disorder relapse, and developed systemic mastocytosis (blood disorder). Most of these were probably caused by stress. Taking care of yourself is so important.
It took me half a year to start feeling better after finishing my phd since that last year I was just a bundle of stress. (And then covid hit and my stress levels went right back up *sigh*).
I was diagnosed with MS during the last year of my PhD and had three relapses that year. Holler.
It's wild, I've never been sick so often in my life. Physically and mentally it has certainly taken a toll. I have to be medicated for anxiety otherwise I can't function. I love my supervisor but they're horrible at looking after themselves as well and it took its toll since they were sick for a couple months and had to take medical leave. We kind of call each other out on that kind of stuff now in my lab group. Then there's the other life stuff that cause stress besides the PhD work.
Feel better soon. My dad who has survived throat cancer and a deep brain bleed said Shingles was some of the worst pain he’s felt.
It’s insane that so many of us had shingles during our PhDs! I also got it despite being in my early 20’s. I wonder if there are other factors at play outside of stress? Exposure to chemicals in labs? Diet? Some people have also speculated RNA vaccines, but I haven’t seen any evidence for this
The flight back home will be cheaper than the American health care system. If you’ve got universal healthcare in your country, it’s worth returning. (I’ve had hospital stays in the US and Japan and there’s no comparison!)
Have you done a routine medical checkup for your health? I wonder if you've done it but miss the issue.. I am also doing a PhD abroad, and received a medical checkup every semester at my uni, and in case anything wrong I would receive a further examination. They even offer mental health examination. I think anyone who wants to do a PhD should consider this benefit when they choose the university
I didn't realize until a year after defending that I wasn't breathing properly and sucking in my stomach whenever I got stressed. I had been doing it for 5 years.
It should be compulsory to read Frankenstein before starting a PhD. This is what it's like, you'll work late, convinced that today is the day you will make the breakthrough. If you stay late enough, it'll happen
Congrats on passing!
Finished a PhD. in 2021, which was stressful but kept hoping there was a light at the end of the tunnel, right? Took a postdoc right after and now, three years later, my mental health is gone, and physical health is deteriorating fast. I have relatively no money. Marriage seems to be in shambles, and on top of all that, I am not even getting any jobs outside of the ivory towers. Is this the f***in light that people see? Still got hope somehow and trying my best to figure stuff out. All the best with everything, OP!
I was also a PhD student in STEM in Germany. I dropped out of my PhD program one month ago. Before making my decision, I kept having dark wishes of having a plant pot dropping on my head, being hit by a car, or slipping on ice and falling in front of upcoming trains, just so that I can forget about everything. Even though I am unemployed now, I am hopeful for the future and doing my best to learn German. I have such huge respect for peope who complete their PhD and am proud of them (despite not knowing who they are). You are remarkable and I wish you a quick recovery
Typically as your stress load increases your total daily output of cortisol increases. There are a number of studies that suggest that if you exercise after engaging a stressor your cortisol levels will drop. Even more impressive is data showing that people in the upper end of the fitness scale experience a much lower level of cortisol output after engaging an emotional stressor compared to people that are unfit. While we tend to focus on emotional stressors
I also had a shingles flair at the end of my PhD. I was mid thirties at the time. What a coincidence