i’m not reading this whole thread.
i went through a similar situation a few years ago. actually it was the exact same situation. only we had been dating 4 years, not 8. at the time i was pretty upset, but a week later i got drunk and banged a quasi-fatty. i then pulled myself out of the slump and whored myself out to many girls. i had the time of my life. then i met a chick who was a billion times better than my ex. we went through some hard times together. it is now 2 years (almost to the day) and we are still together and happy. i’m 100% better off than i was.
if you want, we’ll meet up for lunch, my treat, and i’ll show you the light.