That's crazy. There are tons of other things you can do that aren't programming related to make money. Especially if you are not passionate about keeping up in the tech space, you're likely to have interests elsewhere. True, some doors will be closed to you, but the economy is amazingly diverse.
Eh? So I'm going to switch careers move to the bottom of the ladder and keep up payments on my mortgage, while maintaining the quality life of my family? The sad truth is that once you have committed to a career, you're stuck with it.