Doing a PhD is not easy, we are pretty safe to say we all think this. But is it just our impression? How widespread is this feeling in the community and what are the traits, behaviours and circumstances that make us more likely to struggle and possibly develop behavioural issues? In this session we will go through some data coming from surveys proposed to Phd and postdocs all over the world, hoping that putting into words (and numbers) the overwhelming feeling we sometimes feel can help us find the right corrective mechanisms to lead a healthy and balanced academic life!