I'm a 23-year-old doctoral student studying clinical psychology. My wife and I up and moved across the country for my PhD program, and it has been quite a struggle, both emotionally and cognitively. Unfortunately academia doesn't tend to attract people of character (at least in my field). We are making it work though, and we have a lot to look forward to. Reading many of y'alls posts here, I see many people who appear to be struggling with depression. Do your homework on evidenced based treatment, and please seek help. In this day and age there is know reason to suffer with depression, especially at such a young age. Find supportive people to be around, get treatment, and you can turn your life around.
Must be just your field. My field's pretty nice. Also, you perceive clinical psychology as lacking people of character? If clinical psychology really does lack character and integrity as a field, that's mighty sad. (For what it's worth, the one clinical psychologist I have been acquainted with had quite good character.) But cgdodd, thank you for voicing something that I might have voiced a little more harshly - this entire thread is full of really, really sad-sounding people. It's as if I'm part of the little minority in this thread who isn't sad in the least. Not that I don't have one or two core problems I'm trying to find solutions to, but it doesn't cause me depression, even if they are very complex problems.Unfortunately academia doesn't tend to attract people of character (at least in my field).