I have been away for a couple of days thinking about things. There have been quite a few interesting threads and I am going to try to comment to a few of them.
Vicar, Downtime is important and vital I find; it lets dust settle and things fall into perspective. Maybe it's because it allows us to regain perspective of the bigger picture as opposed to being obsessively focussed on some minute detail. Enjoy visiting at the stables, and your dinners and family, friends etc. As BF wrote the part time option may give you the balance you need. I wish you courage as you weigh these decisions up. Ultimately, the key is to care for yourself. Without you, nothing else can proceed in your life. Change can be scary but I don't think you want things to remain as they are. If I remember (and I may be wrong) many posts back you wrote of a conversation with your DH where he asked if money was no object, what would you do? You seem focussed on being accepted for other jobs. Will this address any of the underlying factors affecting your relationship with work? I almost get the feeling that you are divided about a number of things, not sure which should receive the highest priority. Again, it's you that is the central facet to anything in your life. I wonder if some of our problems are because we sometimes forget ourselves, and I know this has been raised in the threads before.
ER your posts have made me want to find you and give you a hug! I'm sorry but that's my automatic response to distress in life, hug and care for the person. If we feel safe and accepted, we can grow. If we accept ourselves, maybe we can heal and grow. It isn't a negative lightbulb moment but a very insightful one. Use it to direct where you want to go and to effect the changes you deem important and worthy of your time and energy. It was a tremendous post, clearly written and open. Please keep posting when you need to if it helps you. It has been the beauty of this thread that it represents the multi-coloured tones of life, the up and down moments both. To be honest, it is part of what is helping me inch forward slowly.
With respect to feeling that your difficulties pale into insignificance, I can understand. Edwinia, these difficulties you face are yours and difficult to you. The thread has been welcoming to us all and if it helps to post, to rant, to come and giggle, please do. I sometimes don't post because I feel the same way, because I feel bad about letting my confusion, my tempest and tumult, my little problem on the grand scale of things, assume any importance. The reality is, it is significant in my life and this is my battle. I do feel guilt (oh, MK, I was only a little bully at work why on earth have you let it get to you so much? What is wrong with you? What happened to your career path and your life? How did you make such a mess? Honestly, you've been dragged down by what MK?). These thoughts are not helpful and you shouldn't listen to them. My problems are small relative to some other people's, but relative to me, they are a nightmare and something I haven't had to deal with before nor in such a bedraggled state. If we can help, even by listening, it is something tremendous for you and for all of us.
Reading your resume of the day post.... these were achievements of a sort. We have productive days and rest days. This was one of the latter. You are often so busy caring for your family that is only fair you get some time to rest and care for you. If you need rest, rest. I will never forget my first day when DD went to school and I trundled home, donned my pajamas and slept. Rest can be a curative but like any medicine it is not to be taken inappropriately. I now plan naps or the occasional pajama day. I saw many on this thread napped, slept, were in PJ's or nesting in their duvets. It don't advocate it as a habit but it can give some solace and rest. I did some days of very little and it has helped resettle me a bit. I would limit what I made myself do but I had a few goals. I have found avoiding days of all or nothing and trying to distribute rest and chores evenly across has helped give me more internal stability if that makes sense. Not that I am by any way out of the woods but it has helped a bit.
Snowy I'll be honest; I cannot imagine how you feel but I do understand. I hope you are restful today. If you are to be admitted, could day patient be a compromise so that at least you could have some time to yourself? Or could a day centre such as UA goes to help? I do hope that they listen to you and it can be done so that you will be in your home. From your posts, you really are a sweetheart. Take care.
hugs to UA and Bassetfeet (I always hear a pitter patter when I read your name and imagine a little face peeking around a corner)
NanaNina I would like to hear more of your friend's story if you have the time. SilveryPussycat's link has been helpful. I did write it was a little upsetting but that happens when we face pain or things we fear. It is also incredible to see the courage of people there and on here. When you are in a difficult spot, it takes a lot of strength to make a single movement, or at least for me it does. I hope your friend has moved on to better things and is happy and peaceful in life.
wave to Helles and hope the thesis is coming along. I have memories of panicking it wouldn't happen, and typing and typing forever and suddenly, as though from nowhere, .... there was this pile of pages.
Wave, hugs, 
to all