Trading Psychology  |  OCT 1996

Those Losses that the Trader Creates by Adrienne Laris Toghraie

Those Losses That The Trader Creates by Adrienne Laris Toghraie Traders may move from periods of success to periods of loss, but the losses may be created by the trader and not the markets. Here are some guidelines to identifying this problem and how to overcome it. It still never fails to amaze me how an incident in a trader's childhood can determine whether he can succeed. These incidents, too painful to remember or acknowledge, are often swept under the carpet by sensitive and vulnerable people. While these experiences may be concealed within the trader's consciousness, the damaging psychological issues that result will sabotage his ability to perform. In so doing, his profits are swept under as well. In the course of a counseling session, obvious issues will often come up in conversation about beliefs, values and attitudes. Then, suddenly, the trader will reveal that he was molested as a child or abandoned by his family or forced to fend for himself at an early age. These traders tend to believe that these issues should not affect their adult lives because it all happened long ago. Well, we may be grown up on the outside, but unfortunately, the child within is still alive and hurting. That wounded child in us needs to be healed and will create opportunities for us to overcome the pain he still feels. And what better place to get your attention than in your trading?

by Adrienne Laris Toghraie