The Dark Side of Suppressing Emotions While Trading

+1

Very similar to long-serving combat veterans, almost all of them will admit to being scared shitless in battle. But training and experience lets you take the proper actions in spite of your emotions.

 

Emotions are good. They are energy.

However this term, 'emotions', is used on ET as a surrogate for one or more of your base reactions, such as impulse, panic, confusion and stupidity. For sure emotion, undirected, gets behind whatever is your intention, whether blind or rational.

But emotions do not need to be supressed. They need only be harnessed by your rational intentions. Think about this. Start the process. And especially if you are not habitually in control of yourself, start your rethinking now and work on putting your emotions behind rationality, a rational outlook and what works best in your self interest.

 

I could not agree more. There are less new things out there.

 

Most people/traders cannot be "emotionless" about making/losing money... especially when the $$ amounts are significant/potentially life-changing.

The BEST traders are those who are logical, disciplined and rational about both profit potential and risks.

You want to be a great trader? Think like Mr. Spock. (BTW... "suppressing emotions" is a Vulcan attribute, not human.)

 

Lusting is ok at the start.

The three stages are meant to be lust->attraction->attachment.

If you think a girl is wife material, you need to keep her around long enough, so you form an attachment bond with her. This normally takes several months or a few years.

 

Thanks for the responses. I guess no one can relate to my experience. There's one thing I want to clarify. I didn't set out to try to suppress my emotions. I was seeking to keep it under control but I never thought that it would go away. It happened gradually over the years like Alzheimer disease. By the time I realized what was happening, it was already too late.

Honestly, I don't know how it happened. It just did somehow. I suspect it's the trauma I had during the early years from losing money was the catalyst. I suspect it caused brain damage I'm unaware of. Now that I'm not as emotional, I'm very logical in nature. In fact, the less emotional I've became the more rational I am. I'm cold and calculating 99.9% of the time but I'm tired of it. I'm doing good now with trading, but making money feels empty without anyone to share it with.

I appreciate the people trying to help, but I think it's already too late for me. I've tried to look for ways that can help but never found anything. And it's not like it's completely bad. But, I honestly feel like I sold my soul to become good at trading. If I had known it would be like this, I might not have chosen to get into trading. This is the dark side of trading.

 

There is a stage of childhood development that we all go through wherein we are supposed to integrate our emotions into our thinking... something about trading gets people too excited really, if emotion is a problem then slow your bar interval on your charts... all chart activity is fractal in nature, if it works for one bar interval it works for all of them... slow it down to where the excitement is contained, not panic and fear and greed and all that, trading is just another job really...

I just went through a period where I stopped gambling on the less certain signals and just waited for the really certain ones.. I got to where I could stand by when I needed to and I could act when I needed to and there wasn't too much fear except when I was in a trade.. I had the dilemma of trying to let winners run when I was worried about price moving back to my breakeven stop sometimes... but I learned to just set a bracket and watch the action and move the bracket components accordingly and I have to accept it that that is as good as I can do the work...

 

I can definitely relate. The market broke me down, and I was rebuilt into the image of what you need to be successful as a trader/investor.

Frankly I think the damage is permanent. Much like someone who goes through an incredibly traumatic event or series of events in their life. You know, the people with the thousand yard stare.

This is the very high price of success in this business and it is something people really don't talk about, and it is difficult to understand until you are personally at that point. If you don't pay this price then you are going to either eventually blow out and/or die a very young death due to the stress.

The break down can be fast (aka blowout / abyss), or it can be gradual which I believe we both experienced. Essentially you are hardened over time. An emotional washing if you will. You become a cold blooded analytical killer and it spills over into the rest of your life. People who say "just compartmentalize" don't know WTF they are talking about, because compartmentalizing is what got us here in the first place.

I really believe the best natural traders are sociopaths, and those of us who were fortunate enough not to be natural full-on sociopaths end up along a parallel path with them if you want to be successful long-term in this business.

Many people will say seek help (as in mental health professional) etc, but frankly those people don't understand and haven't been where you find yourself now.

My suggestion is to seek enlightenment and understand that this is part of who you are now and the most important thing is to be self-aware, and when you see the negative aspects of this "dark side" coming out, you deal with them.

If you do the traditional help-seeking route, avoid the drugs at all costs. Just my .02c.

 

Great post.

I can relate to the OP too. I had a nervous breakdown in 2002. The pressures of losing at trading with a young family and big mortgage were just too traumatic. levels of mental pain that no one should have to experience, only saved cause a friend was able to find me work when i was out of cash. Then i had another bad experience in 2005...

I think i know how Livermore felt blowing up all those times.. he defintely had the 'thousand yard stare' towards the end..

As for losing the emotions, i think you start in trading (as in life in general), you really experience what you doing, you are there with the experience. You feel anger, hope, elation etc

After a while you start to become detached, you recognise your feelings for what they are, they are just feelings, they having nothing to do with trading the right way.

A traumatic trading experience will speed this process up and your neural pathways will definitely get rewired.

But as traders we will always still experience emotional extremes which we have to control/supress, this require lots of mental energy to maintain, and can make our lives unbalanced.

The only solution might to be to make your big fortune in trading over the first 10 or 15 years, then after that either trade really small (aiming to make just 10% to 15% a year, with really small drawdowns) or to give up trading completely and so you can concentrate all your energy on having a 'normal' life, what ever that is.


Jesse Livermore, November 27 1940, the day before he took his own life

 

Since I am the one who suggested compartmentalize – I can only assume you mean me


Life and death in battle…, experiencing the carnage war causes…, losing loved ones…, and living not knowing if the next breath you take will be your last one….


IS a hellof damn sight different – than simply losing money


Imo – you are wrapped too far around the axle…, wear you emotions on your sleeve…., and like to play “the victim”….

===================================================================================================

I go to work to make money…, sometimes I lose money… it ain’t personal – it’s just business (work is work..., play is play)

Tomorrow is a new day… and life goes on

==================================================================================================


May I respectfully suggest – you learn to grow the fuck up

Emotionally speaking of course - and also stop playing "the victim"

RN