First, understand this:
Trading IS drug addiction.
Worse, even — because society celebrates yours.
Let me explain:
You overdose on heroin → people tell you to get help.
You blow up your account → people say:
“Just go SMALLER size to get your market feel back!”
SMALLER SIZE?
That’s not discipline. That’s enabling a relapse.
How’s that ANY different from a friend saying,
“Just one SMALLER hit and you’ll be fine,” right after you got out of rehab?
1. Why is it like drug addiction?
Addicts always say they’ll stop after a bad trip.
Traders always say they’ll stop revenge trading after a bad loss.
Then 2 hours later,
you’re curled up on your sofa, shorting $ETH , thinking:
“Just one last trade. I’ll make it back, I swear.”
You’re in pain.
And impulsive trading IS your freaking morphine.
The WORST part?
Everyone claps.
You lose it all → they call you “ambitious.”
You spiral → they say you’re “managing volatility.”
You’re gambling, coping, rotting → they call it “conviction.”
2. What’s going on in your mind?
You think:
“If I held longer, I’d have bought a house.”
It crashes.
“If I hold longer, it’ll bounce.”
It bleeds.
“I sold too early. Next time, I’ll just hold.”
And the cycle repeats.
The core addiction loop:
Anticipation → Trigger → Action → Regret → Vow → Relapse.
Same as drugs. Just with charts.
3. So how do you FIX it, systematically?
You use the same PROVEN system addicts use to get clean.
It’s called the 12 Steps —
Used by the world’s largest addiction recovery groups: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and Cocaine Anonymous (CA).
They’ve helped millions worldwide break free from compulsive self-destruction.
Not with inspirational talks.
But with a dead-simple, brutally effective framework that works when your brain doesn’t.
Start with Step 1 and Step 2.
That alone will stop 80% of your worst trading spirals.
STEP 1: Admit you are powerless over your bad decisions/addiction
This isn’t some spiritual fluff.
It’s executive function collapse.
Your prefrontal cortex shuts down, and your limbic brain takes over.
You know it’s a bad trade, but you’re not in control.
You’re running survival scripts, not strategy.
You long. It dumps.
You DCA. You MOVE the stop-loss.
You WON'T CLOSE THE TRADE because your ego says:
“Cutting = Admitting Failure = Death.”
That’s ego death aversion.
Same reason addicts say:
“I’ve got this under control.”
Spoiler: you don’t.
STEP 2: Accept that logic won’t save you and only a Higher Power can restore your sanity.
You think you can ANALYZE your way out of FEAR.
You can’t.
This isn’t about being smart.
It’s about surrender.
- You need a higher power.
- You need to surrender to a framework that acts on your behalf when you’re not capable.
- You need to build one set of strategy and STICK TO IT for a while (at least months-long timeframe). No switching. No tweaking mid-trade.
- Then set hard-coded rules with punishments THAT HURT.
- FOR EXAMPLE: break a rule, send your friend 10k, or do 50 pushups, or post on Twitter: “I’m a dumbass who revenge trades.”
These are just 2 out of 12 steps. But internalizing even these two kills 80% of your worst trades.
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4. WHY IT WORKS?⚠️
Because long-term recovery IS NOT ABOUT WILLPOWER.
It’s about maintenance of awareness.
What’s the difference between an addict who relapses after 3 months and one who stays clean for 30+ years?
The 30-year survivor says every day:
“I have a disease that will never be cured. I can only manage it.”
The one who relapses says:
“I’m fine now. I’ve recovered.”
Same with trading.
The moment you think you’ve “mastered it,”
You’ve already started losing.
Society tells traders:
“You’re a genius. You’re a killer. You’re ambitious.”
No.
You’re just high.
GN and get help.
