To quit my job and take a few months off work for health reasons?

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My job is very stressful, and as a result I had a bit of a mental health breakdown last year which resulted in me getting signed off work. I've since returned and put in place lots of sources of support. However, the job is intrinsically stressful and I know I would be a lot happier in a different kind of job.

I'm now having health issues, and am on the waiting list for further testing. The symptoms impact me fairly minorly everyday, but seem to escalate and flare-up once a month or so. My GP thinks it's the start of a chronic, autoimmune condition. On a day-to-day basis, the symptoms are enough to make commuting into the office and sitting through long meetings difficult. When they flare-up, I'm too ill to even work from home.

Stress at work has been impacting my symptoms and making them worse.
My attendance at work is already being impacted, which paired with the time off for mental health reasons won't look great to future employers and is adding to my stress. I have enough savings to support my living expenses for 6 months, longer if I cut down on things I don't really need to spend money on. I'd happily work a part-time retail job or something if needed to tide me over.

WIBU, or is this going to ruin my career and be a permanent black mark on my CV?

I would worry that job hunting and establishing yourself with a new employer would be really hard if you're not fully well when you need to return to work.

Would your employer give you some time off unpaid, essentially the same as the break in employment you want? Sell it to them as "while I am under par because of my illness and investigations, please can I take X months unpaid leave?

It might give you the break you need whilst safeguarding a return to work. There's nothing to stop you job hunting while you're off?

I think the op’s suggestion of some unpaid time off sounds sensible if possible. If I could possibly avoid it I wouldn’t leave a job with nothing to go to.

I think that work wouldn't agree to a period of unpaid leave, especially with me already having missed time off work when I was signed off sick

It's fine if you can afford it
but just say you are taking time out for personal reasons when you resign.

when you are looking again, I would say I had travelled or something. It can be arpund the UK.

sometimes you can't win. I was continually asked "but whhyyy did you leave your job with nothing to go to" in one interview. It was very simple - the role and hours had evolved into something I didn't want. I was happy to take time off and had a lady for whom I did temping while I looked inbetween.

I turned down their offer of second interview (they came across badly in other ways too).

next place I went, they didn't ask. I was hired and my boss said "oh I never ask why anyone left any job...you might have wanted to slap your manager every day, or you might just fancy a change."

sprry I'm waffling. Don't overthink it but, as a veteran of MH problems, I keep them quiet from work. Encoraging staff to be open about it is a facade, IMHO.

Also, times are good for job seekers. My sister is getting more calls from headhunters than ever before. My best friend just started a new job from a headhunter approaching her.

I would suggest going off sick long-term instead.

You know your job is contributing to your ill health so you know you won't be able to stay in the role so there is no point in getting unpaid leave as was suggested above.

If you just quit, you will be without an income and it will make it harder to claim benefits if you just leave your job voluntarily.

Instead go and stay off sick and claim sick pay for as long as you can, then move to ESA and use the time to find out what your health issues are and what you can do about them.

Then you can hopefully find a new role that will be less stressful. You can easily explain to employers that you had a period of sickness and that it took a while to get a diagnosis the condition that was affecting you. You don't have to mention the mental health issues, just that your immune system was being affected.

I would really put your health first rather than worrying about ''black marks'' for now. When you are better you can look for a new role.

Speaking as someone who has an autoimmune disease which started 10 years ago, my advice at this point would be to get signed off sick whilst the investigations are on-going. Hopefully you get a diagnosis, meds that help making you feel much better and in a stronger position to find a new job.

I'm not particularly happy in my job but I stay because I have a certain level of protection as I've been with the company for so long.

It's clear you can't stay in your role but think short term for now, not long term.