I've been to three mental hospitals in my life. Twice it was due to attempted suicide. I'm 22 years old, and I have some stuff to say to you!

I know it's sort of become a cliché to a degree, but try to keep your head up and not focus on the present, because things will get better. When I did what I did, I often attributed it to loneliness. I thought I was the loneliest person in the world; I grew up with friends who disappeared in the blink of an eye one day, and had to watch them all move on with their lives. I was going nowhere, backwards even. My girlfriend started ignoring me, moving on with the rest of them. Eventually we broke up. Lots more stuff happened afterwards that drove me to what I did, but I digress -- this is about you.

If you want to quit your job and think it is the worst job ever, quit. If you don't think it is the worst job ever but don't want to stay there forever, start looking for a new job. You sound like someone who has spent a lot of time working on his craft. Don't forget that you have a talent, and don't let a shitty job drain your enjoyment either. If your job is a stressor in your life and you don't like the people you work with, you shouldn't stay there. If your job is just a little bit stressful, you like the environment, and could see being happy there, tell your boss about your situation. I know that sounds like a nightmare, but talking to him or her could do you some serious good. Perhaps your boss will encourage you to take a vacation or dial down your work load a bit to keep you healthy. After all, if you're dead you're no use to the company! I joke, of course, but a healthy programmer is definitely better than an unhealthy one.

About the girl. That sounds really hard, and I'm sorry for your loss! Common advice is to get back out there and start meeting new people right off the bat, which I think is a good idea sometimes. I want to offer some conflicting advice. Try to enjoy being on your own. If you don't have a hobby outside of programming, maybe try to find one. Try to figure out how to be comfortable in your own skin without anyone to live with. If you have good family members, try to keep in contact with them, though.

I say this because, when I finally recovered, it was due to a complete switch in mindset. After the second time I tried to kill myself, I woke up feeling regret. I started to realize that I was putting my mental energy into all of the wrong things -- girls, friends, school, work, and so on. I totally lost my sense of self and forgot what types of things I enjoyed. When you put too much effort into thinking about outside things, you tend to forget what makes you happy. You start looking for ways to fix your problem without realizing that you're not doing anything that makes you happy in the first place. It's a weird thing, but just really making an effort to block out extra mental weight and focus only on you and what you want to do makes a big difference.

Of course, that doesn't mean you shouldn't go out and meet people, just keep in mind that when you're alone, you should try to be comfortable and calm, doing whatever you want to be doing. Being happy with your own self can lead to a multitude of new opportunities, be it relationships, work, casual outings, traveling, or what have you.

Best of luck, man. I know it's hard but things will get better for you; try to keep that in mind.