Baloney, mine is automatic, did the same think. I hope its just the original ****ty three piece design! That I can fix!STOP holding the clutch pedal pressed in when idling at a stop light. Always put the gearbox in neutral and leave the clutch out. Also dont keep your foot on the clutch pedal when doing down the road. Those 2 things right there are what cause 95% of thrust bearing issues.
While everything is apart I would check the clutch components to make sure everything works good in there. Check the clutch hydraulics as well.