Return to previous job?

[Thisandthatornot]

Hello,
I’m seeking advice from people who don’t know me regarding my employment.
I work at my previous employment for nearly 15 years & worked my way up to management level. I didn’t feel happy & struggled with my mental health & to be honest I thought a new job would fix my problems. I was very wrong! Instead of getting help with my mental health, I left my job without a new job (this was January 2020 so Covid really hindered my job search). I eventually found another job in November 2020. My mental health was in a bad way & in Oct 2021 I was signed off sick.
I didn’t receive support from my new employer & in March 2023 I handed my notice in.
Now we are at present day & I’m still without a job. My confidence is low & talk myself out of applying for jobs. Today I have came across a job advertised for my original position (at the place I had previously worked for nearly 15 years).
Would I be stupid to consider applying??
I’m trying to think of the pros & cons in returning & to be honest the only pro I can think of is that I’d be back in employment again so the unemployment shame would be gone but the list of cons is long (one being that my mental health still isn’t great).

If you have got to the end of my rambling then thank you & any words of advice would be greatly received.

xxx

A lot depends on whether your old role/workplace was contributing to your MH issues - I appreciate that it might be hard to untangle various contributing strands. If it was making you ill, or stopping you getting better, it would be a mistake to return.

I know a few people who have gone back to old roles, but usually in the case where they thought the grass would be greener in a new role, and it wasn't, rather than having been strongly unhappy in the previous role.

Having said all that, you left your old job over three years ago - there might have been changes for the better.

You could apply and see what happens - you lose nothing by applying - you don't have to take the role if offered.

Wishing you the best whatever you decide.

I'd apply, but only because you don't have a job at the moment. For some reason it really is easier to get a job when you have a job already.

But generally I do have a "never go back on myself" rule when it comes back to these things.

Have you got the right care/treatment for your MH now?

You left for a reason