I'm thinking about quitting my PhD program and seeking advice I have completed part of my PhD program and am thinking about quitting- I'm looking for advice from someone who has had a similar experience or who has advice to offer. I took my comprehensive exams and passed. At this point I have a a proposal for my dissertation and am collecting data. However, the past 2 years, and especially this past year, have been emotionally draining for me. My anxiety has been through the roof, I'm irritable and my depression is weighing me down. I left my family and my fiance to move to the program.
My advisor is also making it difficult for me to find the motivation to continue. My advisor does not provide feedback, and offers very little guidance and later suggests major issues that will likely come up and prevent publication. Several students in my cohort have already graduated 1, 2 and even 3 semesters ago while I still have a while to go. I fear that my advisor is trying to drag out my stay in the program so that he has a GA.
On top of the above issues, I have come to find out that I dislike this field. I no longer have interest in working in this field or in academia in general. Given that I feel this way about the field, I don't think it is worth it for me to continue to make myself miserable by staying in the program. However, I don't think my program will let me leave with a Master's degree even though at this point I have fulfilled the necessary requirements. I worry about my family's reactions and about feeling ashamed if I do decide to quit.
I have a few thoughts. First, since you have completed comps and the dissertation proposal, there should not be any reason that you have to remain in state to finish your degree. At my university, many students finalize their dissertations while living out of state. Perhaps moving back near your fiance and family would alleviate some of the pressure that you are feeling. The downside of moving is that you would have to finance the remainder of your degree. If you do not have a large number of dissertation hours required, this may be feasible. Also, if you tell your chair that you will be moving out of state after the spring semester, he would know that he is going to lose his GA even if you do not graduate.
Dissertations are hard. All of our ideas and work are constantly being judged. It is common to feel loneliness, despair, stress, frustration,and the list goes on... I believe that the current pandemic has heightened all of these emotions making the dissertation burden even greater. I think it is also common to begin to hate the field in which you are completing the dissertation and to question if you will ever be able to use your future degree.
Ultimately whether or not to continue is your decision. Your parents will love you no matter what you decide. Will you be disappointed in yourself if you leave the program? Will you always question how life might have been different if you completed the degree? These are questions that I would ask myself.
Wishing you all the best as you move forward.