The initial reaction of the internet wrestling community was to blame the company, claiming that WWE had burned Punk out, citing the poor creative and toiling schedule they gave him. The problem with that argument is CM Punk in 2013 had the most consistent creative in the company. Firstly he got to work with The Rock, then Undertaker, then Brock Lesnar. In terms of headlining you can't do much better than that. As for his schedule, he worked far less than others in the company and mostly featured in tags. Those facts gained popularity in the months after his exit, to the point where fans pretty much decided Punk wasn't hard done by at all. One Wrestling Observer report said a factor in him quitting may have been about having to work with Triple H at WrestleMania 30. As if that's a bad gig. Even in a loss, so many guys in WWE would be desperate for that spot, Hunter is one of the best Mania programs to work. Punk's creative complaints simply don't stack up. As for physical and mental drain, it's ok to admit you need a break, it's ok to be in need of rest, WWE can book around that, just like they do for The Undertaker. The way CM Punk suddenly quit meant he never gave alternative thought processes a chance.
