Four years into my Ph.D. program, my hands started to go numb each night as I slept. I didn't think much of it at the time; it was just uncomfortable and weird. Then one night, while sound asleep, I somehow mistook my numb arm for a snake. I threw myself out of bed and woke in a panic-panting, trembling, heart racing-on my bedroom floor, poised to defend myself against this imaginary snake. A few nights later, my hand was a spider. Once again, I launched myself out of bed in utter panic. I later discovered that these nighttime events weren't simply strange dreams; they were a direct result of grad school stress.
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