by Adrienne Toghraie, Trader’s Coach

What is going on that you are not making a profit or not making the profit that you used to earn? Yes, we could say it is because of your computer breaking down, an argument with your best friend, or the fellow who cut you off in traffic. But perhaps if you look beyond the obvious, there is something that is going on with you that you need to address.

 Here are some of the places to look:

> Physical health issues

An imbalance in your neurological system can disrupt your  normal behavior.

Ricky was a happy man until, from his perspective, life started changing around him.  This once profitable trader, nurturing husband and good father started to behave in an unnatural way for him. The problem with Ricky was that he had an abscess in his tooth that began to infect his whole body. Initially, he did notice an annoying discomfort, but chose to ignore it until the pain was too extraordinary to ignore.

It took several months before Ricky was back to his normal self. He then also had to correct the damage that he inflicted upon the people around him before he could get back to profitable trading.

 > Psychological issues of the present

Your relationship is crumbling around you, and you feel that it is happening, but you are afraid to confront those issues.

Abe focused so much on his trading life that he did not notice that his family was falling apart until it was too late even though the signs were there.  He was from the old school of thinking that the way to show love was to bring home a good income.  This was not enough. His not attending social engagements with his wife, his missing his son’s games and his daughter’s recitals took a toll on the family unit.

It took counseling to pull the family back together. The interesting thing is now that Abe has more balance in his life his trading results have improved.

> Issues of the past surfacing

When one is under stress, psychological issues of the past that have not been addressed thoroughly, resurface and play havoc with one’s behavior.

Will grew up with a father who was overly critical, never showed affection and was always angry. His mother was too afraid of her husband to stand up for Will and his sister. While Will was acutely aware of the fact that he did not have a good childhood, when he went on to be a successful trader and have a devoted family, he thought he was over all of his past issues.

One day Will’s computer crashed, he cursed out his wife for a minor infraction and then broke his son’s bike because it was blocking the driveway. From this point forward, Will’s behavior continued to be erratic, which naturally affected his trading.  Then with each disappointment came more blame and guilt until his family divorced him. It was only when he lost his comfortable, and nurturing life, did he seek help to find out that he had to address his past before he could put his life back together.

> Changes in the markets

When you have enjoyed the market being predictably in your favor by your being consistent in following your rules and that changes, it can throw you off balance and have you question yourself.

Rita learned about the stock market from her father at a very young age. She enjoyed a strategy that was reliable for years. One week she went through a drawdown in spite of following her rules. This shake up made her question herself, which resulted in her changing the rules as she traded. It proved to be ineffective in helping the problem, but she continued to behave inconsistently until she lost half of her money. It was not until then that she asked for help.

Conclusion

Our neurological system is complex and when there is an imbalance in any one part, it will affect all of the other parts. When life is not predictably comfortable, you may have to go beyond the obvious and look deeper to find the answers.

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