“I can’t stop trading until I make back what I lost”: when investing becomes a problem

Is trading addiction a recognized diagnosis?

Researchers are developing specific tools because using only gambling questionnaires may miss important differences. A study published in 2025 evaluated a problematic trading scale in 403 Spanish retail investors. It advances assessment. It does not show that everyone who trades frequently has an addiction or estimate how common it is across Spain. ^[2]

I will also use the term compulsive or problematic trading.

This does not minimize the distress. It avoids applying a label too quickly.

In an assessment, I would want to know:

How much control you still have. What purpose trading serves. What consequences you notice. What happens when you try to change it.

The point would not be to debate your identity as an investor. It would be to understand what needs attention.

What recent research tells us

A study in PLOS One published on May 26, 2026, examined 239 adults in the United States who owned or invested in crypto assets.

Greater problematic involvement was associated with more symptoms of anxiety, depression, and social isolation.

There are important limits. The data were collected in 2022, the study was cross-sectional, and it used an adapted scale that had not been validated for that purpose. It does not show that cryptocurrency causes depression or tell us whether distress began before or after the trading pattern. ^[3]

Its clinical use is more specific. When someone asks for help with anxiety or insomnia, it may be worth asking what is happening with their digital investments, too.

The goal is not to pathologize saving money. It is to identify an activity that may be taking up too much of their life.

A loss does not prove addiction. A gain does not rule out a problem.

I would not conclude that someone has a disorder because they lost money on an investment.

They might have made an unfortunate decision, experienced fraud, or taken a risk that turned out badly.

The reverse can also happen: someone makes money but sleeps less, breaks their own limits, and neglects responsibilities.

That is why I would not use the account balance as the only clinical indicator.

In an assessment, I would distinguish the financial outcome from your relationship with the behavior.

I would ask:

“Even if the next trade went well, would you regain control over the time you spend on this?”

There is no right answer. The question helps us see whether the whole recovery plan depends on a future gain.

Treatment should not become a way to trade better or tolerate more risk.

A phrase worth noticing: “I just want to make it back”

Chasing losses is one of the patterns described in research on problematic financial trading. It can come with debt and impaired functioning, although it does not look the same in everyone. ^[4]

In a hypothetical example, someone starts out looking for a return. After a substantial loss, the goal changes: they are no longer looking for a new profit but trying to undo what happened.

Thoughts like these come up:

“I can’t stop while I’m down.”

“One good trade and I’m done.”

“If I stop now, I’m admitting I’ve failed.”

In an appointment, I would explore what stopping means to the person. It may feel like admitting a mistake, facing a difficult conversation, or giving up an image of success.

I would not respond with a different financial strategy.

I would suggest separating two problems:

Trading more to relieve distress can keep the two problems tied together.

Related reading: sports betting and regaining control. The two activities are not automatically equivalent.

Fear of missing out: when everything looks like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

Spain’s securities regulator, the CNMV, warns about messages from financial influencers that appeal to emotion, urgency, or fear of missing out. A large following does not guarantee reliability, and general recommendations are not personalized advice. ^[5]

Not every financial content creator is irresponsible. It helps to look at how you use their information.

In an assessment, I would ask:

Does looking things up help you make a decision, or does it lead you to seek one more signal confirming what you want to do?

Can you postpone a trade, or does even a few minutes of waiting feel unacceptable?

Are you comparing your situation with other people’s gains without knowing their losses, capital, or risks?

These are not diagnostic criteria. They are questions to understand what is happening.

Four signs it may be time to seek an assessment

You do not have to wait until you lose your home or have serious debt.

These questions can help you make sense of what is worrying you:

• Have you tried to limit or stop trading, only to return to the same pattern?
• Do you hide amounts, loans, or the time you spend trading?
• Is your sleep, work, or relationship with others getting worse?
• Do you trade to relieve tension or recover a loss even after deciding not to?

Spanish research on problematic trading links higher scores with more frequent trades, market monitoring, and other signs of difficulty. These questions are for guidance: they do not replace an interview or allow you to diagnose yourself. ^[6]

The work context matters, too. I would not assess someone who follows markets as part of their job in the same way as someone who cannot stop checking when they do not need to.

In either case, I would ask about control, safety, and consequences.

Check mood before attributing everything to addiction

A sudden change calls for particular attention.

If trading suddenly increases alongside a reduced need for sleep, unusually high energy, racing thoughts, feeling exceptionally capable, or risky decisions, it is worth assessing for possible hypomania or mania.

The NIMH lists such changes among the symptoms to investigate in bipolar disorder. This does not mean every enthusiastic investor has bipolar disorder. It means an episodic pattern may call for a different treatment. ^[7]

I would also review anxiety, depression, substance use, medications, and earlier difficulties with organization.

I would not look for an extra diagnosis to explain every financial decision.

Treatment without promising more than the evidence supports

For gambling disorder, the WHO identifies cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interventions among the approaches with the strongest support. They may inform a clinical formulation when similar mechanisms are involved, but adapting them to trading should be described as an adaptation. ^[8]

My approach would address three areas.

Understand what keeps the behavior going

I would ask more than how many trades you made.

We would review a recent sequence: what came before, what you hoped to feel, when you changed the plan, and what you did after the result.

Trading to escape a lonely afternoon, for instance, is different from trading because a loss feels unacceptable.

That difference helps us choose what to work on.

Put barriers in place that match the actual risk

I would suggest reviewing notifications, automatic access, times of greater vulnerability, and immediate access to money.

I would not tell you in an article to sell your entire portfolio, close contracts, or transfer assets to someone else.

A psychiatric consultation does not replace that work.

Plan for setbacks and difficult moments

I would not build a plan around “this time I’ll be strong.”

We would work on what to do when another loss, notification, or seemingly exceptional opportunity comes along.

We would also agree on how to ask for help early if the pattern returns.

The goal is not to eliminate every emotion linked to money. It is to keep that emotion from automatically deciding the next trade.

Book an assessment for compulsive trading (booking in Spanish)

Does gambling self-exclusion also block investment apps?

Do not assume it does.

Spain’s General Register of Gambling Access Restrictions (RGIAJ) applies to gambling activities and operators within its regulated scope. It does not work as a general block on bank accounts, brokers, or crypto platforms. That limitation follows from the scope described by Spain’s gambling regulator, the DGOJ. ^[9]

If sports betting or casino gambling is also involved, self-exclusion may be a useful tool for that part of the problem.

Trading safeguards should be reviewed specifically with the person and, where appropriate, the relevant providers.

I would not present a technical barrier as a replacement for treatment on its own.

Is there a pill to help you stop trading?

I would not consider medication just because someone buys and sells assets.

If the assessment identifies an anxiety disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, or another condition, treatment may be needed. The reasons should be explained in terms of the goals for that condition.

For gambling disorder, some guidelines consider specialist medication in selected circumstances, such as an inadequate response to psychotherapy or repeated relapse. That does not justify automatically prescribing it for compulsive trading or taking it on your own. ^[10]

I would avoid two extremes: reducing everything to willpower or turning every difficulty with control into a prescription.

The plan may include psychotherapy, medical care, financial measures, and family support, each with a different role.

What you can do today if you feel you are losing control

You do not need to resolve your entire financial situation before asking for help.

Stop bargaining with yourself over “one last trade to fix it.” As a first goal, I would suggest avoiding new impulsive decisions made only to relieve distress and seeking support to review the situation.

Reduce the cues that push you to keep trading. You can mute promotions or step away from trading-signal channels for a while. If you have open positions that need attention, arrange to handle them with appropriate advice. Reducing cues is different from neglecting financial obligations.

Tell someone you trust. You can start without a label: “I’m worried about how I’m trading, and I need help to stop and think.”

Get ready for a consultation. Bring a simple timeline, current treatments, and examples of what is happening. You do not need to reconstruct every transaction to explain how this is affecting your life.

These steps are not a complete program or advice about which assets to buy or sell. They are a starting point for organizing care.

A partner can help without becoming a full-time monitor

I would suggest talking about concrete observations:

“I’m worried that you’re barely sleeping, that there are trades we don’t know about, and that every conversation ends with a promise to make it back. We need to understand what’s happening.”

Family members may need their own support and guidance on protecting shared needs. NICE considers care for people affected by a family member’s gambling, as well as for the person who gambles. Applying that perspective to trading requires adapting it to the situation. ^[11]

I would not recommend humiliating someone, threatening them, or demanding unlimited access to their digital life.

Nor would I assume that supporting someone means repeatedly paying their losses or accepting decisions about shared money without agreement.

In a clinical plan, I would try to define what support is needed, what boundaries are reasonable, and when outside advice is appropriate.

Can the assessment take place online?

A video visit can make the first contact easier when the person is stable and it is safe to assess them that way.

Evidence on online interventions is broader for gambling disorder than for problematic trading. The WHO notes that some are supported by evidence, though treatment dropout remains a challenge. The same effectiveness cannot be promised for every format or problem. ^[8]

At Dr. Marc Agraz’s practice, assessment covers digital patterns of loss of control, related emotional difficulties, and the need for in-person or online treatment. The format depends on the case. ^[12]

If there is suicide risk, severe mood destabilization, or an inability to stay safe, a routine video appointment is not enough.

The format should make treatment easier, not reduce the care you need.

What I would review at the first consultation

I would start with one question:

“When did it stop feeling like a decision you could put off?”

Then we would look at how things developed: what you trade, how much time you spend on it, what you have tried to cut back, and what effects you have noticed.

I would not need to judge the financial merits of every choice. I would want to understand how you make decisions and how you are feeling.

I would review sleep, mood, anxiety, substance use, medication, relationships, and risks, as well as the resources you still have and what you want to regain.

The consultation should end with a clear plan:

I would not promise to recover the money you lost.

Treatment should help you regain something different: the ability to make a decision without treating each loss, opportunity, or notification as an order.

When you feel hopeless, the priority is not the next trade

If you feel there is no way out, that your family would be better off without you, or that you cannot face what happened, reach out for help and tell someone you trust.

Do not wait until you close a position, recover a certain amount, or finish explaining the losses before seeking care.

Is it hard to stop trading even though it is affecting your life?

If you check prices at night, hide trades, or feel you cannot stop until you make back what you lost, an initial assessment can help you understand the pattern and decide what support you need.

Dr. Marc Agraz · Integrative Psychiatry and Addiction Care
In-person care in Lleida and online consultations when clinically appropriate, with coordination with psychology and other services when needed. ^[12]

You can start by saying:

“I don’t know whether I have an addiction. I do know I am no longer controlling this the way I want to.”

You do not have to lose everything before asking for help. Nor do you have to make the money back before you start taking care of yourself.

Educational content for adults. It is not financial advice and cannot be used to diagnose yourself. “Trading addiction” describes a problem still under study. An assessment should distinguish it from other clinical and financial situations. Do not change medication on your own. Scheduled consultations are not an emergency service.

Sources and references