Trading is like a drug
- Thread starter Cmoss
- Start date
I am bi-polar, runs in all the males on Father's side, I have known long time ago, drugs pretty much made me sleep 24 hours a day or made it worse. There is nothing worse to have as a career in life for bipolar is trading, but didn't know at time when I first started.
>>>Baron should put a laffffffttterr icon
>>> because I think we all passed through this - inspite of the
>>> warnings regarding trading.
Yeah, have many more down days in my life than happy days,
relationships are difficult to maintain.
Before trading, I was into gambling, did ok as I was taught and kept it a business.
There have been times where I get destructive thoughts of doing harm to my trading account, but have always placed safeguards.
I really think having this disease has helped me achieve the direction I wanted to go in trading as I literally lost 3-5 years of my life working hard at it. It be nothing to work 72 hours back testing some idea.
>>> :eek::eek::eek::eek: why do you say "lost" ?
>>> I'd say for myself that it was a good investment.
>>> As I now realise I have ample time in my hands,
>>> have freedom - so can travel and do what I want, when I want.
>>> My only problem now being patience as to let compounding do its work
>>> But for sure, it was a heavy price sacrifice - in time, money and efforts.
I still hardly sleep much. But I seldom get any happiness from trading, maybe twenty five years ago when I was losing often in futures and get couple winning days, but that long gone.
I doubt anything in my life would make me feel thrilled much any more, I figure it is a just part of life. I stay busy as health will allow. I often get into tunnel visions when I trade, a bomb could go off and I wouldn't notice. Few years ago I did have to redo all my manual methods, concentrated on not losing, that has actually helped me cope better with life. Trading is a game/job, that's all it is to me and I don't play golf.
>> :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: That's very sad aspect of life.
>> I intend to enjoy life as much as I can, even more due to the really bad past
>> harassment experiences
We all have problems in our life, whether ongoing or parts, we all do what we can to overcome.
Trading brings out big time all the worst emotions of being bi-polar,
>>> I think trading brings out the worst emotions each person has burried inside.
but I been writing down my feelings for so long, I made my condition work for me, when I felt I should add many contracts-I knew the end was near.
>>>:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:. At least you can read your emotions well.
This sounds soooo sad ( I had to add comments though).
The real problem with trading is the garguantuan amount of psychology/spirituality work to do.
Just now, I am seeing the end of the tunnel - psycho wise.
So do not despair.
This sounds soooo sad ( I had to add comments though).
The real problem with trading is the garguantuan amount of psychology/spirituality work to do.
Just now, I am seeing the end of the tunnel - psycho wise.
So do not despair.
It is easy for you to say this as you don't walk in my shoes. I didn't write the post to draw any pity or any advise on how to cope, but as a way for others who know they have same disease that it will take so much more work at trading to over come destructive thoughts of very risky trades, racing thoughts, manic periods that most get besides trying to understand why does price stop and go. In some ways it been easier for me to understand the "whys".
Many people here on ET are just as mental as I am (or worse) except they are in denial. Not only bipolar will hinder your trading success. There are myriads of other disorders the US is full of. I seriously think that if week-ends bore you - better find a life or a shrink (or both)....
I get bired at weekend to, I dont get a lot of spare time in the week, so fill them with my hobby and maybe future replacement income.
So weekend, when I'm less busy then I have nothing to fill in the bored bits, ie waiting for a mate to come around or a Doctor Who to start.
Don't get me wrong, i will go mountain biking or hill walking or climbing or fix the car or even get some work done if i really have to.
Price stops, because it runs into a supply, ie a large seller who wants out at that price rather than risk higher some logic they have.
I used to do it when I started my trading. Watching TV and listening to all market pundits on business channels but over a period I realized I should listen to my trading strategy and not the noise and everything changed.
The truth is EVERYBODY has psychological/physical/spiritual baggage to work on:
trading only highlight these problems.
And nobody can work in someone else shoes as no one has a clue about these baggages and how the person
specifically cope with what was handed to them. So saying that trading is not for bi-polars : I do not
accept the "escuse".
The only thing someone can do is not to despair and to keep going through any pro that can help:
psys, exorcists ( yes also!), "healers", etc... and to keep going.
Actually, I forgot to mention that support groups are also very useful depending on the trader's problem ( gambler's anonymous is useful to meet fellow "traders who were really gamblers").
