Completing a PhD is an illustrious feat. But, having to deal with it over the span of 5-7 years is awful. The pains of a PhD candidate are so unnerving that no one will ever warn of what lies ahead. The worst of them are as follows
Becoming a recluse – PhD candidates become recluse. They voluntarily become anti-social. Their library or lab becomes their home. They would opt to stay over there in the company of strangers than amongst their kindred. Their overall personality changes due to this. After a considerable period of time, they get so attuned to the library etiquette that they forget social etiquette. Hey subconsciously behave in a way they would in a library. For example, entering the room quietly, seating in a corner without bothering anyone and keeping their hands in their lap. Apart from that, they also loose chances of network and relationship building. Their relationship status becomes complicated. They want to commit but they cannot. There is nothing like personal life. While updating themselves with the latest researches in an area, they lose touch with the current affairs around them.
Substance Abuse – Hours of isolation makes can make anyone unhappy and stresses out. As a result, they try to escape it with the help of tranquilizers, alcohol and sometimes drugs. Drinking and doing drugs can be the worst element of your PhD journey. Not only will it dissipate your research but it will also hamper your relationship with your supervisor. When the habit of drinking and doing drugs becomes alarmingly noticeable to the supervisor, they prefer to disassociate themselves from their candidates. Obviously, they would not prefer to associate themselves with a person who is headed towards the prison owing to his drug habits rather than a top university.
Health Effects – According to a recent study, almost one third of the PhD candidates become prone to mental disorders like depression. Constant rejections from supervisors, hours of seclusion, exhausting and frustrating research and failure to achieve anything substantial even after long hours of research can lead to extreme mental strain. Sometimes, the effects stay life-long.
Sinking into despair and ditching PhD – Sometimes the candidates feel so demotivated and find their research so pointless, that they prefer leaving it between. They get tired of sitting alone with virtually no connection to the outside world. They feel lack of purpose while dealing with constant failure. They feel like being a part of rat race where they are still at the same place even after numerous efforts. As a result, they choose to leave it in between.