Managed through contacts (and much luck) after paying for my own type-rating (I know.. I know..) to get a years contract work, this turned into a second year and I had no problem believing what I'd been told that it would go on indefinitely. It was well paid, through a US agency where because I self-employed contract non-resident Brit in SE Asia paid zero tax... single in 30's, I was rolling in cash, also great girlfriend, nice apartment , you get the picture.
However was working with some OK guys, but a lot of politics, a lot of **** and actually pretty miserable existence., I dreaded days sometimes and hated earlies (really screwed me up).. so rather than quit (which was what I should have done if I were rational) I took "sick" leave and then went AWOL... the long and short of it was this was 2006... and the company wouldn't give me a reference until early 2008 when I repaid some dispute items (I refused before mostly because they were wrong)...
Believe me you CAN suffer burn-out after just a few years..... or at least have some sort of break-down... it doesn't take decades.... and can happen to anyone.
Never went back to flying, my old profession in Software was in huge demand, the money was the same or better, and I kind of drifted away, too old now to go back after such a gap, but no regrets.
Oh yes, both the CP and some of my colleagues have also left flying and now work doing various other stuff... well actually CP was jailed
so his career came to an abrupt end!