This is not a fun article to write. But it's an important one.
A trader posted on r/wallstreetbets this week with a confession that should be required reading for anyone who thinks they're going to "trade their way back" from losses. He lost everything. Consulted a bankruptcy attorney. Is facing lawsuits and potentially jail time because he used funds from his small business to try to recover his losses.
His words: "I've lost everything... my wife and kids are suffering due to my addiction... if you're losing like I have, you are gambling and not trading."
Let me be blunt: this is what gambling addiction looks like when it's disguised as investing.
The Pattern That Destroys Lives
Here's how it happens:
1. You take a loss 2. You convince yourself you can make it back with one good trade 3. You increase your position size ("go big or go home") 4. You lose again 5. Now you're in deeper, so you take out loans, use business funds, or tap your life savings 6. You keep losing 7. Bankruptcy, divorce, legal trouble
This trader hit all seven steps. And the truly scary part? He's not alone. For every gain post you see on WallStreetBets, there are dozens of people quietly losing everything and too ashamed to post about it.
Warning Signs You're Gambling, Not Investing
If any of these sound familiar, stop trading and get help:
- You're using money you can't afford to lose (business funds, mortgage payments, your kid's college fund) - You're taking out loans to trade - You're convinced the "next trade" will fix everything - You're hiding losses from your spouse or family - You feel anxiety, depression, or panic about your positions - You can't stop checking your portfolio - You're making increasingly risky bets to try to recover losses
The Math Doesn't Work
Here's what people don't understand about "trading back" losses: if you lose 50% of your account, you need to make 100% just to break even. Lose 75%? You need to make 300% to get back to where you started.
Those aren't trading odds. Those are lottery ticket odds. And the house always wins.
What To Do If This Is You
If you recognize yourself in this story:
1. Stop trading immediately. Not tomorrow. Today. 2. Tell someone. Your spouse, a trusted friend, a therapist. Secrets make this worse. 3. Contact the National Council on Problem Gambling: 1-800-522-4700 4. If you've used business funds or taken on debt, consult a bankruptcy attorney before it becomes a criminal matter 5. Delete your trading apps. Seriously. You can't gamble if you can't access the casino.
To Everyone Else
This is why I'm so skeptical of the "YOLO" and "diamond hands" culture. It's fun until it's not. And when it's not, it destroys lives.
If you're going to trade, trade with money you can afford to lose. Not money you hope you can afford to lose. Money that, if it went to zero tomorrow, wouldn't affect your ability to pay rent, feed your family, or sleep at night.
Because if you're not doing that, you're not trading. You're gambling. And the odds are not in your favor.
