Yes, but the alternative in my case probably would have involved suicide. Unfortunately, that's not something you can tell prospective employers, as an explanation for taking a break. (I'm not at all suicidal these days, so worry not.)

My suggestion there is to think of a plausible fib that won't raise flags. You could make up a consulting jaunt or maybe a dying relative you had to take care of. Or just say you needed a sabbatical. This might seem unethical, but my read is that employers really _want_ to see you "act normal", which in our society means lying about certain things in a professional context.