Are you addicted to trading?

[bwolinsky]

The element of losing means you are addicted if you a) have no strategy and b) have no risk management.

If you have a strategy, risk management, and intend for it to be a job then it should not be considered an addiction.

Addiction is a bad habit that you can't stop, and only fools who blow accounts on a regular basis before having one string of luck can be considered addicts.

Professionals who trade aren't addicted, their just professionals and somebody has got to do what they do or else someone else would. The lack of admission to failure is usually from missing a or b, but moreso addiction to trading is any element of denial pertaining to those two characteristics wherein somebody might fail to recognize the lack of robust trading results usually indicated by losing money.

Addiction is not to be assumed unless the losses impact your ability to survive, not just your ability to thrive. Professionals with track records do not have to worry about this if they believe that their strategies generate alpha, and not simply that they might have 1 or 2 losing years in a row. Trading addiction is gambling addiction for trading, and this more commonly known for forex traders than any other security.

 

[masterm1ne]

Quote from flipside21:

Is trading an addiction for you?

ad·dic·tion
noun \ə-ˈdik-shən, a-\
Definition of ADDICTION

1
: the quality or state of being addicted <addiction to reading>
2
: compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly : persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful

At first I thought I was addict to trading, but the definition say I'm not

 

[austinp]

Quote from logic_man:

I think there are two types of addictions that can draw a person to trading. The first is the obvious one, i.e. gambling, and the second is to puzzle-solving. The market is the world's most complex puzzle.

Yes, and once you master the "key unlock" to trading's puzzle it loses all sense of mystery. Then it's just a mundane,. cash collecting job for us.

The other group who trade for adrenaline - self fulfillment - self worth - competition - peer approval => ego reasons all fail in the end, zero exceptions. The game never loses its appeal, they simply run out of money because in the end they never learn to actually trade.

 

[Trader.Fighter]

Definitely not addicted to trading but very addicted to doing whatever is necessary to making it.

 

[themickey]

I believe there can be several elements to why traders get into this game, but then again that could be said of most business startups.

Like taking risks
Bravado and ego - want to show off.
Wishing to take on an adventure
One is bored with life so takes on trading.
Thoughtlessness or stupidity or ignorance of what they are letting themselves in for.
Greed or desire for more money / easy money ( I think many of us are for this one, myself included)
Just enjoys the challenge of beating the opposition (market)
Zero appreciation of money's importance so continually taking losses.
Being led astray by BS artists / media promoters who glamorise trading or have hidden motives to suck in newbs
See trading as a business and just wish to succeed no matter what it takes.
Contrarian, wish to do something their peers aren't doing.
The novelty of working from home by oneself. Self sufficient with only little infrastructure required.
Once we get on the roller coaster, don't wish to get off.
Enjoy the mental game and the psychology of trading which the market teaches about our life.
etc

 

[logic_man]

Quote from austinp:

Yes, and once you master the "key unlock" to trading's puzzle it loses all sense of mystery. Then it's just a mundane,. cash collecting job for us.

The other group who trade for adrenaline - self fulfillment - self worth - competition - peer approval => ego reasons all fail in the end, zero exceptions. The game never loses its appeal, they simply run out of money because in the end they never learn to actually trade.

It does lose its mystery, but you think to yourself "If I can figure it out, anyone can" and you get paranoid that it'll stop working or the traders you take money from will give up trading. At least I do, even though that's out of my control.

 

[austinp]

Quote from logic_man:

It does lose its mystery, but you think to yourself "If I can figure it out, anyone can" and you get paranoid that it'll stop working or the traders you take money from will give up trading. At least I do, even though that's out of my control.

The key to trading includes a combination of self-mastery along with price-action mastery in about equal degrees. One or the other of those two factors alone won't cut it... no edge exists.

That's why most traders will always fail. They seek the mystical answers in one place or another, when the answers hide in plain sight, seperately

 

[Handle123]

Not a addiction for me at all, just a total boredom of activity. Been doing it way too long, I have hired a group of local unemployed engineers and trained them to day trade my accounts, come August 31, saying good bye to day trading ES, 26 years is enough. I want to go into a different direction of doing more swing/long term trading of stocks and commodities. Going to do much more automation.

It is so unhealthy to sit in front of screens for me any more, watching same patterns over and over. Considering the amount one risks and the reward is insane based on weekly stats. Swing and longer term has always allowed more profits cause of the gaps one doesn't get in day trading.

Have a great weekend all.

 

[volente_00]

Where do you draw the line in addiction versus passionate ?


Is something an addiction if you choose to spend 70-80 hours a week doing it because you love the game and the rewards from it ?

 

[murray t turtle]

Quote from flipside21:

Is trading an addiction for you?

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Yes, flipper;
but some addictions are good-i like 8 glass of water per day also