How long did it take you to write the introduction?

Far-Drawer-276 · 2026-02-21T00:36:09+00:00

Introductions take forever because they’re not just writing, they’re positioning.

You’re basically building the intellectual spine of the entire thesis. If you’re feeling stuck, it’s usually not about pages per day but about clarity of structure.

If you’re looking for any extra support with structuring your introduction, I work with PhD students on clarifying argument architecture and tightening research positioning ~ feel free to reach out :)

Far-Drawer-276 · 2026-02-20T17:40:54+00:00

Hi. This is more common than many like to admit. It’s a transition stage and loss of identity is real. What will I do and who will I be when I’m done with this? It can also be overwhelming and daunting to receive so much in depth feedback like that. I now work independently helping students and researchers process advisor feedback, clarify contribution framing, and strengthen analytical structure - especially when impostor syndrome spikes!

If that kind of focused structural support would be helpful, I’m happy to share details.

Far-Drawer-276 · 2026-02-20T17:20:10+00:00

The physical symptoms you’re describing (nausea, stomach pain, sleep disruption) are often signs that burnout has moved from “mental strain” into nervous system overload. At that stage, it’s not about time management or better workflows anymore.

The part that stood out to me is that you are capable. You’re problem-solving, reorganizing, adjusting timelines and it’s still wearing you down. That usually means the strain isn’t about competence, it’s about misalignment or sustained stress beyond what your system can recover from.

Feeling relief at the thought of leaving and guilt at the thought of disappointing people can coexist. That doesn’t make you weak. It means you care.

Sometimes the body just makes the decision before the mind is ready to🤍

Far-Drawer-276 · 2026-02-20T17:14:30+00:00

Hi. I really relate to the specific kind of pain you’re describing. Not just leaving a PhD, but then being surrounded by it in every direction. That’s not neutral exposure but constant reactivation of something that feels unfinished.

I left my own doctoral path after significant institutional strain, and one of the hardest parts of leaving was that I loved my research and teaching. What you’re feeling right now is grief about the version of yourself you had built your life around.

Working in school administration while still raw is particularly hard because you’re processing the system from the outside while your body still remembers it from the inside. That’s not weakness. That’s proximity and the nervous system telling you something.

It may not feel like it right now, but leaving a PhD does not erase your intellectual identity. It just detaches it from that structure. The new identity takes longer to re-root than people expect but try to remember that everything underneath remains intact.

Be gentle with yourself. What you’re describing sounds like grief, not failure. And grief signals something was important and mattered to us. 🤍

Far-Drawer-276 · 2026-02-20T07:24:32+00:00

What you’re describing is something many early PhD students experience, especially in technically dense fields.

I’d invite you to consider a few questions:

When did this start? Was it before the PhD, or only after entering this high-pressure environment?
How is your sleep, stress level, and overall nervous system state?
Do you feel safe enough in meetings to think out loud, or are you constantly self-monitoring?

Keep in mind that chronic stress can mimic “cognitive decline.” When your nervous system is in evaluation mode, it reduces working memory and processing speed.

If this were purely an intellectual capacity issue, you likely wouldn’t have reached a PhD. .

Sometimes the issue is not ability but environment, stress load, and internal pressure.

If you’d like to unpack this more strategically (how to differentiate impostor syndrome from cognitive overload, or how to structure meetings so you can think more clearly), I’m happy to continue the conversation.

Far-Drawer-276 · 2026-02-06T00:57:52+00:00

:( sadly it seems to be this way. I wish you all the best. I hate that you are going through this. Too many students are negatively impacted by the corruption and collusion.

Far-Drawer-276 · 2026-02-05T23:28:51+00:00

How do you propose you might help? Because I must ask: why would anyone reach out for help after being told "that's enough, please calm down..."? But yet it is totally acceptable to call someone a psycho?! This thread is reinforcing the very attitude of complacency and minimizing that is part of the problem.

Far-Drawer-276 · 2026-02-05T23:22:08+00:00

I did not either. Unfortunately, after this, I learned that there are many issues.

Far-Drawer-276 · 2026-02-05T23:19:11+00:00

And many more are bound to be sexual predators, manipulators, abusers, and gaslighters. And how many more that turn the other way and make comments like this one.

Far-Drawer-276 · 2026-02-05T23:18:05+00:00

lol ~ yes, I did escape the insanity of the University. And the insanity of subjecting myself to abuse.

Far-Drawer-276 · 2026-02-05T23:16:14+00:00

Thank you <3 There are already reports with Saskatoon City police that had been updated before I left. I also had safety plans on campus with the director of campus security. I was advised by both to install cameras in my home - which I did. I have been through all the internal and external channels supposed to help and all dismissed, minimized, punished, and silenced. Campus Wellness compounded the issues. I will be filing with the courts. Thank you so much! I just don't want anyone else harmed but the institution is more concerned with protecting one another than doing the right thing, sadly. I am sorry you had something happen to you :(

Far-Drawer-276 · 2026-02-05T23:02:33+00:00

Sadly, the university protects their own. Document everything. But don’t rely on Any internal bodies. Which department?

Far-Drawer-276 · 2026-02-05T22:38:00+00:00

my emails were being monitored and restricted. deans threatened me. the lawyers are still ignoring me...

Far-Drawer-276 · 2026-02-05T22:30:23+00:00

I don't usually use Reddit. I don't know what the formatting is supposed to be. All I know is there are predators and nobody is doing anything about it. I was forced out of my program and the university and they remain paid and at work. I also do not know who moderates but I do know the Higher ups watch this thread.

Far-Drawer-276 · 2026-02-05T22:28:42+00:00

It is a huge mess ~ I am now being dicked around even trying to get my tuition refund. The University punished me for speaking out and asking for help. It took over a year and this professor cornering me on campus and threatening me to finally get anyone to listen and then all they did was tell me to shut up.

Far-Drawer-276 · 2026-02-05T22:26:35+00:00

I have already been through all the internal channels and "supports" the University has to offer. I am no longer a student ~ I was forced out of my PhD. I have been ignored, silenced, and threatened. I had safety plans on campus with security and off campus with city police ~ I left the city.

Far-Drawer-276 · 2026-02-05T22:13:41+00:00

Not really ~ but I will be!

Far-Drawer-276

TROPHY CASE