This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Chris Gawor, a former sales executive who says he was addicted to day trading for more than a decade before he quit the market. He is now a life coach who helps others who struggle with addiction. Business Insider verified his trading activity through screenshots of his brokerage account. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I’m someone who didn’t really understand how addictions happen. People who were addicts, to me, were of a certain social class—were low-lives, were alcoholics, drug addicts, etc. “I’m not an addict,” I told myself. “I don’t get addicted to stuff.”
It was only after 12 years, when my trading came to an end, that I…