Product Description
In Shock
by Adrienne Laris Toghraie
Trading is unique in that the uncertainty of the markets
brings to bear an unusual stress level. What should you do if
your trading suddenly turns south, or worse, a tragic event
occurs?
Recently, I was in an automobile
accident when a cab driver sped
through a four-way stop sign as
I was entering the intersection.
For a spell, I felt lost in time. In
that moment of unreality, I even
thought that it was all a dream.
I was in shock.
What is shock? According to
the dictionary, it can be a sudden,
jarring impact or the result of a disturbance in your
equilibrium; it can also be the reaction to a strike with
surprise, terror, or horror.
Traumatic events can cause a state of shock. In the best of
all circumstances, a person can go through life without one,
but such a utopian existence is unlikely. Since successful
trading depends on good performance, it is important that a
trader have plans in case of any disastrous event. Being
unprepared could be very costly, both emotionally and financially.
Whether it is the resulting shock from an accident or
the shock of realizing that your trading account has been
wiped out by the markets and there’s nothing you can do
about it, it’s still the same: Disaster has occurred, and you
couldn’t control it.
LETTING GO
Immediately after the accident, I just sat in my car, trying to
figure out whether the next world war had started. A concerned
face popped up and asked how I was. For a split
second, I just wanted to say, “Obviously, I’m not okay!” But
all I could say was, “I don’t know.” The one thing I did know,
however, was that it was time for me to let others take control.
When you are in a state of shock, it is the best time to make
no choices, if possible. First, seek out a helpful person with
whom you feel comfortable and allow him or her to make
immediate decisions for you. When something disastrous has
happened in your trading and you are in a state of shock, you
need to know who you can trust to make the decisions that
have to be made. For me, it was the paramedics, the police and
my assistant.