Mind, brain and the body in the transformation of trauma … Author Bessel van der Kolk explains the influence of traumatic experiences on humans and their health. Traumata from childhood can often influence a person for the rest of their lives. They can cause us traders to experience emotions which we may not be fully aware of. In some cases they damage our health and the behaviours we display cause pain. Unknown to us, those old traumatic experiences may cause us to act harmfully and unproductively. We may even suffer from PTSD. But there are ways we can find out and find a remedy to our problems and that’s the most valuable part of van der Kolk’s interesting book. Behaviours in trading are often deeply engrained in people’s personalities. Early childhood neglect may cause traders to refuse taking responsibility for their trading errors thus creating extremely difficult conflicts. While this book does not talk about trading related issues in particular, it gives food for thought. Many cases from the authors’ lab are presented. People suffering from horrible, debilitating conditions, addiction, suicide attempts, self-harm and their stories are narrated, explanations are given and working therapies are shown. None of them have taken a pill to cure their issues, but they learned to manage psychological and emotional distress by applying methods to achieve gradual improvements. There is a process of learning involved just like in trading.
This book will certainly make you aware of possibly tragedies in your own life and explain how they affect your life and how you may be handling trading losses and pain. Take the straw and see for yourself if this book can help improve yourself, your health and your trading activities.
The Body keeps the Score
Bessel van der Kolk
ISBN: 9780141978611
540 pages
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