I only realized when I finally closed my positions that the most hidden leverage in this game was not on the charts at all, but was added to my own life.

I thought I was just placing a few orders, but in fact I had unconsciously put in all those stable days, my parents' expectations, and the tears I shed as collateral. The candlestick chart distorted my dopamine threshold, making me numb to all the ordinary warmth in reality. Finally, the Fed released a hawkish signal, and my dreams shattered. Turning around, I could barely accept the care my parents offered. I always thought I was playing against the market makers, but in fact I was just a madman, exchanging the most sincere feelings in the world for a bunch of illusory bubbles. The moment I shifted the center of my life to the charts, I had already lost.