During my last bout of unemployment, I was both relieved and nervous. I had been unemployed in 2009, entering the market in the darkest part of the recession in terms of the labor market.
Relieved because I no longer had my job from hell. It had taken a nasty toll on my mental health. And I knew that if I got through one recession, I could get through another. I was nervous because I had vivid memories of the misery of long term unemployment. I kick myself now for not doing more during that stretch, but in hindsight it is easy to dismiss the depth of burnout and depression one was already mired in before losing the job.
I imagine that once I make FIRE a lot of the stress and anxiety over not being employed would disappear. Knowing that yes, I could make my bills still and at most would need a little part time work for splash room would do a lot for breaking the anxiety spiral.
If your friends or family express concerns about depression, do hear them out though.