Quote from Maverick74:
You bring up an excellent point and one that rarely gets mentioned. I'm know bi-polar disorder well as it's in my family. Jesse Livermore suffered from it as well and ultimately killed himself because of it (a common fate with those who have the disorder). Millions are inflicted with this along with many other disorders from anxiety, depression, alcohol and substance abuse to even physical ailments that could include high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, the list goes on and on. And just like sports where injuries can often take an otherwise great athlete out of the game, so can health issues for traders.
I think most guys on here really underestimate how important health is to trading and I'm not talking about just mental health but even physical health. Trading is far too competitive to be able to operate at the level you need to if you have ANY impairments. Not saying it can't be done, it's just an added challenge. And for those who have them, working on "related" industries like education, consulting or even financial services can be a way around that. I can't imagine trading with bi-polar disorder. Jesse Livermore is a fascinating case study. I find it funny how "some"mock how many times he blew out without even having the slightest understanding of how challenging that disease is. In fact it's shocking how successful he was given he had that illness.
Another case study on this very site I think is Rearden Metal. And I only mention it because he has detailed his struggles publicly on ET at length. I think he is a great trader with a terrible illness who would be MUCH better served "helping" others with trading then trading himself. And that is not to say he can't "push a button" like many here put it. Trading is not about pushing buttons. It's almost 100% mental. And if you have ANY kind of mental impairment, I have no idea how one can make this work consistently. And kudos to those that do because it is not easy.
Swan Noir I agree with you 100%.
