Loss of Identity: Surviving Post-PhD Depression

Thank you for sharing this. We need to hear more grad school stories.

Here is mine: https://www.reddit.com/r/MachineLearning/comments/1ltejq6/d_...

Honestly, I get that people feel lost after finishing something as intense as a PhD, but I also think we've gone a bit overboard with turning every life transition into a therapeutic crisis. Careers end. School ends. Relationships end. That's... just life. It is not always some deep identity crisis that needs to be "processed" with words like 'grounding' and 'holding space'.

I don't mean to dismiss anyone's feelings - yeah, it can suck. But is it really surprising that you feel weird after leaving a highly structured, all-consuming environment like academia? That is not trauma, that is change.

And it is normal.

Maybe we have just forgotten how to deal with discomfort without slapping a therapy label on it - build some resilience, having a life outside of work, and preparing for transitions are basic life skills and being a reasonably well-rounded adult - not just therapeutic strategies or some breakthrough insights!

Anyway, not trying to be heartless here - being a contrarian, I suppose - I just wish we had more language for talking about hard things without everything needing to be a mini mental health crisis. Sometimes you are just in a weird place for a bit. And that is okay too.

Is the author capable of creating a home for themselves or others? They probably need to work on an education if they don't have the capability..