Hi there!
Before getting into my question, just wanted to say that I appreciate your science-based approach to lifting. I have been a fan for several months, watching the Youtube videos and reading some articles, but this is my first time posting in the forum. I got my husband into doing LP over the summer and he used the Bridge to transition to intermediate programming and became a fan of yours as well. He regularly watches the vlogs and has even been thinking of submitting a form video! 
I am a 5’5 135lb female, 29 years old. I started my LP in March 2018, with a 100lb squat, 40lb press, 135lb deadlift, and 65lb bench press (all weights listed for a set of 5). I wasn’t totally detrained at the time - I had been doing some not-very-serious lifting 2x a week at a bootcamp-style class mixed with barbell lifts, which didn’t have anything close to the technique instruction and programming like that of Starting Strength. Since the start of my LP, I have been working with a Starting Strength certified coach who gives me programming each week. I train 3x a week on MWF. I think I stopped my LP around June 2018 – I say “I think” because the transition to intermediate programming wasn’t abrupt, and by September 2018 my programming looked like this:
Monday: Squat – work up in sets of 6 to 2 sets x 6 reps @ RPE 8. Press – work up to a heavy single at RPE 8, then 4 x 5 @ 80% of RPE 8 single for backoffs, rows (accessory lift, done beltless): 3 x 8 @ RPE 8.
Wednesday (heavy deadlift day): Deadlift – work up to a heavy single at RPE 8 then backoffs 4 x 5 @ 75%. 1ct paused bench – work up in sets of 6 to 2 x 6 at RPE 8; tempo squats (accessory lift, done beltless) – 2 x 5 @ RPE 8.
Friday (heavy squat day): Squat – work up to a single at RPE 8 then do 4 sets x 5 reps backoffs at 78%. Press – work up to 2 x 6 @ RPE 8. Romanian deadlifts (accessory lift, beltless): 3 x 8 @ RPE 8
This was when my lifts hit their highest numbers: I achieved a 1 rep @ RPE 8 deadlift of 225lbs, a 1 rep RPE 8 1 ct. paused bench of 100lbs, and a 1 rep RPE 8 squat of 195lbs.
As expected, between June to September my progress slowed. By the end of September, I would say I was hitting PRs every 3-4 weeks.
But something happened in October and the following months that was completely unexpected. My performance stalled starting in October and by the end of November, it began to backslide – I was unable to lift numbers that I was able to lift before. Whereas I used to have a 1 rep RPE 8 squat of 195 in September, 175 became my 1 rep RPE 8 squat. I was using the same program as the one from September. My coach gave me a deload week in December right before the holidays, then the holidays happened (which resulted in not lifting for about 1.5 weeks).
When I came back from the holidays, my lifts seemed to drop further (but it’s hard to know because I was no longer doing singles). I’m still using that programming and it looks like this:
Monday: Squat – work up in sets of 6 to 2 sets x 6 reps @ RPE 8. Press - work up in sets of 6 to 2 x 6 @ RPE8. Try to get to 5 x 5 pendlay row myo reps (beltless).
Wednesday: Deadlift – work up in sets of 6 to 2 x 6 reps @ RPE 8. 1 ct Paused Bench - work up in sets of 6 to 2 x 6 @ RPE 8. Try to get to 5 x 5 on safety squat bar myo reps (beltless).
Friday: Snatch grip RDL (accessory, done beltless) – 3 x 8 @ RPE 8. incline bench (accessory, beltless): 3 x 8 @ RPE 8. Try to get to 5 x 5 on touch n’ go bench myo reps (beltless)
I’m positive that my deadlift is lower than what it used to be, because I started my LP at 135lb, and I was able to do 3 x 5 at that weight. Just yesterday, I struggled to do a set of 6 at 145lb, only 10 lbs higher than my starting weight for LP. My squat sets of 6 at RPE 8 are around 135lb, and my 1ct paused bench is back down to around 65lbs. I feel like I’m back where I started, which has been incredibly demoralizing. In fact, I couldn’t help but cry at various points later in the day just thinking about how I had struggled with a 145lb deadlifts for a set of 6 – I was totally crushed.
My coach has said that this kind of performance backslide is unusual and unexpected. She says that when she’s seen it happen, it was due to psychosocial stressors or mental health issues. I don’t disagree – I suspect that too, but also feel powerless and lost in how to stop it. For one, after beginning to see my performance backslide in November, I believe I’m approaching my lifts with a lot more anxiety. Although I actively try to keep an open mind and be optimistic about the weight I will put on the bar, I get discouraged when numbers that I think are low end up feeling heavy. My coach has noticed this too, and believes that the stress/unhappiness I carry into the gym before I even touch a barbell is actually beginning to work against me.
In addition, while I haven’t changed my diet or lifestyle in any way, things at work were pretty stressful in November until the end of December. By the holidays, I felt very tired and burned out: rather than going out and doing stuff, I just stayed home and binge-watched TV and movies all day for several days. The recent deadlift set of 145lbs felt heavier to me than when I lifted actually heavier weights – I feel as though I’m exerting myself more on lifts now than ever before, but getting less results. Having had two episodes of depression/burnout before, where I was sleeping 14 hour days and so tired that I couldn’t go to school, this general feeling of fatigue that I now seem to carry with me is familiar, but the work I did in therapy at that time gave me the tools that I’m using to help me avoid the dumpiest of dumps. I feel like if it weren’t for me willing myself to get up and try everyday, I could totally see this turning into another dark, down period.
I’m working with my coach still and she has some ideas on how to switch up the programming to get me out of this funk, since I don’t want to stop lifting. The lifting community I’ve found and the regularity of the practice are extremely positive influences in my life. We’ve discussed switching to lighter weights/bodybuilding style programming, or prescribing weights instead of RPE (in case RPE has become too stressful given the backslide lately), and simply just trying to make lifting fun (so doing more Crossfit-style stuff) so that I can get out of my head for a while.
But, I thought I would write here and ask you if you had any suggestions, or if you had any other takes on the situation. I’m also curious if you have any coaching experiences or science to share on how burnout, depression, or anxiety can affect strength performance. I’m open to any advice that you may have, and am grateful for the work that you do. Thank you so much for reading this far.