Skyhigh's counsel is worthless; his is a failed career, and it's from the position of one who couldn't make it that advice is proffered. The worst possible source, and the last one to whom anyone should listen.

Yours sounds similar.

Fifteen years of downhill spiral, moving to worse paying jobs, every one a dead end, every turn a failure? You may possibly have the worst luck (or the worst decision making) in the industry. Have you considered that?

Aviation maintenance is a worthwhile and honorable profession. it's hardly a "meat grinder." It's certainly not a fool's errand, unless it's a fool that embarks therein at the outset. It certainly doesn't make a fool of you. One must be that to begin with. The errand, aviation maintenance, is a profession to some of us.

Like you, I didn't approach aviation maintenance from the perspective of a pilot who learned to turn wrenches. I've been turning wrenches on aircraft longer than I've been flying, and I've been flying since I was fifteen years old (a time which came and went a long time ago). I've yet to reach a point, several decades later, in which aircraft maintenance becomes a dead end.

As for "completely different people," a person is a person. Regardless of what you do for a living. It seems that doing aircraft maintenance for a living is not for you. Don't attempt to project that failing on others.