Health issues and the dissertation

Life has a way of throwing things at you when you have the least time for it. This makes sense from a health psych perspective – as your stress increases, the chances of health issues increase proportionately. So let's talk about how to handle health issues during dissertation work.

As you probably know, there are 2 types of illnesses – acute and chronic. Acute illnesses are short term ones, such as colds, flu, a broken bone, etc. The key point is that they are time limited- there is an end in sight. For these types of illnesses, keep your chair informed of the issues. Do not just disappear from dissertation! Faculty understand that emergencies happen, but make sure they are informed as soon as possible. Let your chair know if there are issues that will affect your writing ability, a great example is a student with a broken wrist. He or she may be able to use voice recognition software to write, but it will definitely slow the progress. Remind your chair occasionally that you are dealing with this, they may not remember. Contact disabilities services to cover yourself. You may want to let your dissertation peers know for support and suggestions.

Chronic illnesses are more of a challenge. Chronic illnesses are ones that are not time limited, they may continue indefinitely. Some examples are diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and some forms of cancer. Contact disabilities services – they may be able to offer extensions and other accommodations. Let your chair know about your issues, it may be a good idea to educate them a little on your illness so they understand what to expect in the future. It is a good idea to give your chair info on how to contact your next of kin so they have a way to check up on you if you disappear from the classroom (you must give permission to allow such communication). It is also a good idea to give your next of kin your chair's contact info so they can update him or her. Remind your chair occasionally that you are dealing with this illness, they may not remember.

If a flare-up or crisis occurs, you may wish to explore taking a leave of absence (LOA) with your academic advisor and chair. Ask about what it will mean with your dissertation. Can you return and be with the same chair? Consider LOAs if you are going through a difficult period- don’t risk getting a U. Be sure you keep in contact with chair during LOAs- he or she needs to know that you are ok and your plans for the future. When you return from your LOA, let your peers and chair know how you are doing. Remember, these people have formed relationships with you; they can be supportive if they know what you are dealing with.

Next time I will talk about considering having a mentor outside of education.  Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu