The use of the phrase mental problems implies a "mental illness" or "mental disorders" such as serious depression, biopolar, schizo, insomnia, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts/behaviors, abnormal phobias and many others that can read about at Google. Therefore, if a trader thinks he/she has "mental problems"...they need to stop trading and go get professional help (e.g psychologist or psychiatrist) because this is something they can not fix on their own or via some self-help book. My point is that there's a big difference between having stress (normal aspect of trading) and having "mental problems" (not a normal aspect of trading). The latter requires professional help via a psychologist or possible psychiatrist. Also, if a trader is the latter (has mental problems)...that's a trader that also has "mental problems" in every other aspect of their personal lives. For example, I knew a trader that would get these "panic attacks" while trading. Yet, he had always had problems with panic attacks since age 10 whenever he was in crowed public places resulting in him having problems breathing (he thought he was actually suffocating), running hysterically (crying or screaming) from the crowded area or even having chest pains like a heart-attack (a few times an ambulance had to called). Anyways, he had to give up trading because it was not a suitable profession for him even though he was seeing a psychiatrist and on medication.
I take it you've never suffered from a mental illness? It is highly arrogant to state that one requires treatment from a professional, as this is not necessarily the case. Depending on the illness (and the available health care professionals in one's area), one might be better off treating it oneself. Sadly the knowledge level and/or interest of a significant portion of professionals might, in fact, lead to a worsening of the condition. I guess you provided a fine example of why professional treatment and medications don't necessarily help. That being said, I would encourage all to seek out professional help, albeit with a healthy skepticism. One is often better off by reading the textbooks oneself. I am speaking of the "lighter" illnesses, of course.
Psychiatry is a dubious science and it is very difficult to treat mental illnesses , so self help may often be a better alternative.Side effects are plenty and there are adverse affects on many pills.
The illnesses I've stated and went on to give a "specific example" do not fall into your category of "lighter illnesses". Therefore, I guess you later realized such that you're talking about something different via your "lighter illness" statement (you gave no examples) in comparison to the specific examples I gave. Yeah, its true when someone seeks any professional help of any kind regardless if its for the mind or body...in some cases...one would have been better if they didn't get any professional advice or professional treatment. For example (a specific one), I have a friend that was diagnose with stomach cancer about 16 years ago. He decided not to get any chemotherapy even though it was the same cancer that killed his father and brother at a very young age. My point is that there are now research results showing that having chemotherapy for some specific patients in a specific situation can actually make the body too weak to fight off other diseases, illnesses or to control (keep it from spreading) the cancer if/when it returns. Just the same, there are also other researches that show that folks that ignore chemotherapy for stomach cancer do not live beyond a few years without treatment. Thus, depending upon whom you know with the illness or disease (mind or body)...the results can be different and that could give us a different opinion. Simply, my message post is based upon facts of my experiences with those I personally know or have met...such may contrast your own and I wouldn't be an ass and call you highly arrogant for having different personal experiences...that would be not cool. Regardless, I stand by my primary view that there's a huge difference between normal trading stress versus someone having "mental problems" (as the OP stated in his subject title) because the latter is a phrase associated with "mental disorders" or "mental illness". I also stand by my statement that traders with "mental problems" (the serious ones) should not be trading until they get help with dealing with the illness or disease. I've personally seen what happens in my volunteer work in the past in an "outreach program" when someone has suicidal thoughts/behaviors, schizo, bipolar and any other serious stuff that is ignored by the community or without help from a professional...not a good ending. Thus...fear, greed, sweaty palms, increasing heart rate, normal stress, normal anxiety while trading "do not" fall into the category of having "mental problems".
Where would the world be without geniuses and famous people with mental illnesses? http://www.mdf.contactbox.co.uk/info_packs/org/genius.htm I say the world needs these geniuses to trade.
Lets put it this way, I would rather have normal trading related stress or anxiety along with having the resources to manage such instead of having mental problems (mental illness or mental disorder) that's more personal related than trading related. By the way, if you're thread title "mental problems" is an indication that you really want to talk about people that have mental illness or mental disorder and then choose to be a trader... My advice is that the trader have a strong support group, community help and professional help to manage the problems "that will" arise while trading and stop trading when in a crisis.
Then there's BoWo. Even Down's Syndrome sufferers can become nearly beneficial to society. He has limited capacity, but he can make us smile. Go BoWo, go...
Your attitude shows the stigma attached to mental health , if traders had another type of illness i.e diabetes they would not be discriminated against.These people were unfortunate to have mental diseases. Would you have discriminated against many scientists like Einstein, newton , Darwin ,Tessla ,edison etc ?
You have continue running around the bush for many threads now as others have stated long before me in your other threads. I'll repeat, there's an enormous difference between talking about normal trading related stress and anxiety versus traders with "mental problems". The latter involves mental illness and mental disorders and for some weird reason you pretend there's no difference. For example, you start this thread with the title of "mental problems" yet you start discussing normal trading related stress and anxiety until I show up to remind you about the difference. You then suddenly switch gear and begin talking about "mental problems" along with posting a direct link to info about famous people that have had serious mental illness or mental disorders. In addition, you then imply that if given the choice you would rather be one of them as if its the "only way" to see an improvement in your trading. My response is basically this, if I was given the choice...I would choose not to have a mental illness nor a mental disorder. I also stated that if someone did have such, ensure you have support of your family, community and access to professional help when in crisis as a trader. You've now replied to the above to say that's discriminating. Once again, I state what a few others have already stated in your other threads. It's poor taste on your part to be starting threads about a mental problems and than try to minimize it or trivialize it with these discussions about normal trading related stress or anxiety because I strongly doubt you're that naive and didn't know there's a difference between traders that have "mental problems" versus traders that have normal trading related stress or anxiety. Lets now talk about your diabetes example. If I was given the choice of choosing to be a diabetic or not having diabetes...I would not want to be a diabetic. Yet, if I was a diabetic, I wouldn't want to be trading if I start developing "disorientation" or the appearance of being drunk and confused as a result of not taking care of myself properly as a diabetic (e.g. hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia). If you consider the above to be discriminating via me choosing not to be such (diabetic or a person with mental problems) and if I was such to stop trading when in crisis...you either don't read too well or it's another poor attempt by you to hide the fact what your threads are really about... To minimize or trivialize mental disorders or mental illness as if its normal stress or normal anxiety that discretionary traders have unless they are automated traders.
My apologies , I had missed reading the stop trading when in a crisis.My misunderstanding. Yours wasn't discriminatory ,however many other people do discriminate .