can you walk away…win loose or draw…can you leave it for a night or two or a week or a month…Or are you like me and cant stop since that first moment you started googling forex…
second part is can you maintain relationships…with wifes, girlfriends,boyfriends, friends…or are you possessed with your damn laptop and cant get your head out of it. Do thes same people say to you, “what the **** are you doing what are you becoming…hello anyone there?”…ther you are watching the screen…tick…tick tick…dont talk to me you stress my trading out i am concentrating:eek:
Interesting question. I’ve actually had to study this potential problem quite a bit, since having other bouts with addiction in the past. I’ve made a promise with myself that if my Forex/stocks earnings ever go in the red, I’m out for good (luckily my first experience with trading put me up $800, so I consider that my “learning money”, as someone in debt, if use that up, I have no reason to be trading). Also, I have to stay completely open with my girlfriend whom I live with. If she yells downstairs and says “watcha’ doin?”, and I’m trading, if I say I’m doing something else than that’s a problem. On the flip side though, I feel like recovery from other addictions is actually helping me in the Forex world. I don’t put all my eggs into one basket and I can be honest with myself about my trading patterns and mistakes I make that I can improve upon. Also, I’m getting pretty good about walking away from the computer at numerous times during the day to calm down, and walking away if I start losing too much, winning too much, or even if the market looks too choppy or difficult to trade. It does wonders for my psyche and my mood. Over-elation and desperation are two opposing feelings that say “you’re done”.
I voted yes lol. This is because I’m becoming so immersed in it. I know i have to start finding a balance and i may very well be on the way to finding it…but it’s so addicting just watching the candles!
obsessed might be more apropriet. obsessed with becoming a consistantly winning trader. thank you Babypips for being a part of that.
i am getting addicted to the forums here. some of the best info about forex is found here.
Nope, not addicted. Still extremely interested in improving my trading, but not addicted.
I’ve even gotten to the point where actual trading is boring. I guess I’ve entered the area where I’m beginning to be truly objective and trade according to my edge only. I have an hourly edge. So, sometimes I wait for a couple of hours for my variable to line up and maybe make only one or two trades a day on a slow day.
I’m not addicted. I keep my trading time from 6-10 A.M. and then I’m done win or lose. I’ve found if I’m losing or in a draw trading past then can only make things worse.
As far as study, I still get my other things done and my wife doesn’t care if I’m studying forex all day as for one reason or another I’m either reading or in front of the computer anyhow.
P.S. I have had to explain to my wife rather sternly that during my trading hours I’m not to be bothered by trivial things I’m not needed for, because it will take me out of the flow. We had a blow up one day because I’d been waiting for a set up for three hours. The instant I was ready to enter and babysit the trade she needed my immiediate attention. I just told her what would she do if I was at an office job? Because, I consider this a business. Please do that instead of bothering me unless something is on fire or you are in need of medical attention!
yeap, I am becoming addicted after my first 2500 pips in a month and a week:eek:
Even spent all day, reading stuff and testing strategies.
My GF lives 3500 km away and even when I was with her one night I stay up almost all the time and doesn’t complain:rolleyes:
My friends think I am going to crash and that I am crazy because I don’t have a real job:p
in some manner we are all addicted when starting — here is the ultimate interractive game, played against the world, and it PAYS you money (well, we hope it does anyway !)
a carrot on a string, dangling before you and driving you forward through impossible hours and learning — day after day with the driver never having to raise the whip because ALL YOU WANT IS THAT CARROT !!
we all go thru that, and some find they get stuck in it because of its connection with a “gambling” fixation, but the best traders become BORED traders after a while, and the game is played for the rewards which after all, IS ALL ITS ABOUT — not adrenilin rushes, or the need to beat everyone else or the hundred other philosophical reasons put forth — the whole idea is to make money using your experience, brain and methodologies vs. the rest of the world, and while NO ONE out there REALLY gives a rats rump about you, it sure feels good when your banker shows that much respect, and even asks for YOUR advice !
but its still all about the money honey, and thats ALL it should be about !
enjoy and trade well
mp
Addiction in all forms is negative as it represents “too much” or “can’t stop”.
In trading this would correspond to overtrading and gambling - sure ways to blow yourself up.
But sure, we all feel attracted to trading. Why else would we be here?
Controlling emotions is a big part in trading, and fighting addiction is a part of that. We all face it and we all have to guard against it.
Like with all addiction, it’s easier for an outsider to spot it. I don’t think I’m addicted yet, but my girlfriend might disagree…
Good trading to all
It’s a controlled addiction… like caffeine.
However, once my account is flat I’m happy to walk away and not worry about anything for a few days. I’m getting comfortable, through experience, that there is always another juicy move in the future, I don’t have to glue myself to the screen to catch them all.
However, I enjoy trading. I enjoy making winning trades. I’m motivated by the goal of becoming profitable enough to earn a living doing this…
I can come and go from the market, as long as it’s open. I can spend an evening with friends and get back to trading later. But if the market is closed, I get irritated, grumpy, restless … these holidays have been tough.
[B]enjoy and trade well[/B]
[B]mp[/B]
wahoo the holidays are over pipaholics 