serious psychological issue

Discussion in 'Psychology' started by antincedo, Oct 28, 2008.

  1. Someone posted this on another thread a while ago and it helped me quite a bit. It's an article about how to boost your willpower:

    http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/06/how-to-boost-your-willpower/

    Turns out that your willpower is better when your blood sugar is higher. I find that having a glass of Koolaid helps a lot sometimes, especially since I have a tendency to not eat or drink much while I'm trading.

    Also, your willpower is finite, so if something else is requiring willpower it will drain the willpower you have for other things.

    The article is actually based on studies they did, not just speculation.
     
    #31     Nov 23, 2008

  2. Thanks for your post Mr. Consistent.

    I am not an advocate for fixing anything through the use of drugs, but in my case I see no other way.

    As mentioned this is not simply about 'lacking' discipline, this is about constant or repetitive spurts of uncontrollable irrational behavior that occur without warning, besides other things. I consider myself very disciplined physically, but mentally is another story.

    I think of it as having 'natural tendencies' that go against one's best interest. If I have to pick between 5 different options, my brain will naturally pick the most challenging, this is a problem that not only covers trading, but life in general.

    If I am not mistaken I think it is a chemical imbalance in the brain, which keeps the conscious and subconscious mind in a subtle perpetual disagreement. Because of this imbalance, the brain will automatically give wrong information to our conscious at times, creating a deep sense of insecurity, which anyone can decide to ignore, but is fundamental in nature.

    I plan and hope to create a smooth link, so all my thoughts are always congruent to reality and the present at all times.



    :)
     
    #32     Nov 23, 2008
  3. drinking koolaid while trading..

    sweet
     
    #33     Nov 23, 2008
  4. Cheese

    Cheese

    You are so right. Studying market behavior for long periods (screentime) and intense trading are concentrated cerebral activites. I bluntly refer to sugar intake, sweet drinks or confectionery, as a 'sugar hit'. I even use the phrase, as does another member of my family, as 'I need a sugar hit'.
    :)
     
    #34     Nov 23, 2008

  5. OK, maybe you might have a bit more serious issues then first meets the eye, and I don't mean in a bad way, and maybe medication is the way to go. Though here is something to think about. The disagreements between conscious and subconscious mind are causing people self-sabotage, and exactly as you wrote, the brain will pick the worst option for you, usually the one that is not in the best of your interest. Seems like a SELF-SABOTAGE to me which is caused by your subconscious, and chemical imbalance might have nothing to do with it.

    Also if you are stressed or anxious you might get your adrenaline high, and in such situation our mental processing and decision making capabilities get severely affected and we act irrationally, not just you, it applies to all of us. Once again I'm not a therapist, so please take what I write with some reservation, and I wish you all the best and you'd like to see you back doing well. :)
     
    #35     Nov 24, 2008
  6. Thanks for your reply and best wishes. I also understand your position completely. I had always wondered why some people would 'need' medication, if all of us have the power to instruct our brain to do whatever we wish. I also thought it was irrational for somebody to just have depression, when all you supposedly have to do is cheer yourself and be happy.

    I am not a therapist either, so I am not sure if this is even close, as stated earlier, but I think that if there is a chemical imbalance in the brain, the brain will not function properly at all times. With time what happens is that our conscious will not just blindly trust everything we think, but will start to question it, making our brain go into 'thinking' overdrive.

    I am 41 years old, and it took me all these years to figure this out. Amazing. When things didn't work out, I thought it was just destiny, bad luck, that I was a perfectionist, laziness, name a reasonable reason and it was there.

    I am only sharing this because probably somebody is going through the same long term ups(successes) and downs(failures), like a roller coaster type of life not understanding why.

    To finish up I figure that if chemistry is the origin of the problem, it should also be the source of the solution.

    I never though I would wish this, but hey, I hope to be 'normal and boring' someday.

    :p
     
    #36     Nov 24, 2008
  7. jjf

    jjf

    Is there any other part of your life where you are peaking too early, there could be a connection.

    If there is and you can cure one, then you might cure both
     
    #37     Nov 24, 2008
  8. You could be right, it is best you get a professional treatment, you could even have bipolar depression. Try to to find psychiatrist who is objective and doesn't over medicate. Try to keep a psychological diary to monitor how your thinking changes over time so you can be objective when assessing your progress.

    Take care, look after yourself, and all the best:)

    PS; I had to had the last word :D
     
    #38     Nov 24, 2008
  9. Pita

    Pita

    Let me tell you what I think about what you describe and please don't feel offended as that is not my intention.
    I think your problem is that first you talk too much and the second is I assume that you lie and pretend. You might talk the truth now and here but it did take you long before you did and amongst people who know you personally you never would. The balance you live out in company of others is the plain imagination of yourself being successfull, no matter what it is. That you lie I derive from your self description where you claimed that you are/were successfull in most other aspects in life. Would that be the case trading would not bother you. Lying and pretending takes a lot of energy and contrary to the truth it costs you a lot of energy and is blocking any development of your creativity. You are right that your subconcious mind is preventing you from success and the reason is you dont deserve it. I am convinced that you are a nice and good guy.

    If I am wrong I am sorry and apologize, just do I know somebody like I just described while this guy describes himself very similar to you do.
     
    #39     Nov 24, 2008
  10. No hard feelings. I don't lie, I have nothing to lie about, and if anything I tend to open up to people way too easily.

    What I meant with repeating patterns of success and failures, is working hard to achieve something and then letting it go to waste, against the person's own will, but still doing it conciously. It is not a one day/ time thing but a process.

    And most of my friends and family are aware of my new recent discoveries. I like to keep all in suspense.

    :D
     
    #40     Nov 24, 2008