I would like to thank everyone for the kind replies and helpful advice -- they're much appreciated and perhaps unsurprisingly, very accurate. Most of it is exac

I would like to thank everyone for the kind replies and helpful advice -- they're much appreciated and perhaps unsurprisingly, very accurate. Most of it is exactly what I needed to hear. Escaping from other issues in my life is definitely something that has been going on: it's easy to fill a certain emptiness in your life with work. It's harder to actually realize that and do something about it. Right now it all comes down to changing perspective: take distance from work and realize it's far from everything. I might even enjoy it again if I do. And the Christmas season is probably a good time to call a few lost friends. Once again, thanks for all the kind replies. This hacker is just going through a rough time, but will definitely come out stronger. It just sucks when you're in the middle of it. :-)