Seven years ago that night, I was curled up in the corner of the sofa, the ashtray was nearly overflowing. The numbers on the screen were glaring—my account had a two million hole, and the balance left on my card was only enough for a decent meal. I was still clutching my last 5,000U, staring blankly at the $ZEC chart.

After finishing two packs of cigarettes, my throat was hoarse, and I finally realized a fact: it wasn’t the market trying to kill me, I was the one sabotaging myself all along.

The turning point came suddenly. I forced myself to stop trading and did nothing for a whole week, just watched the market. Strangely, when you stop thinking about making back your losses, the candlesticks become clearer. The signals I couldn’t understand before had always been there; it was just anxiety that blinded me.

What really woke me up was meeting an industry veteran. He didn’t show off screenshots or brag about how great he was. He just said, “It’s not your skill that’s losing, it’s your mindset and discipline.” That hit me like a bucket of cold water—instant clarity.

Starting the second month, I practiced according to the framework he gave me: wait for the trend to stabilize before entering, test the waters with a small position, add slowly if I was right, cut quickly if I was wrong. I practiced stop-losses until they became instinct, like a reflex. By the end of the month, my account climbed from 5,000U to 50,000U. The number wasn’t huge, but that night I slept especially soundly—for the first time in half a year.

The third month was even more intense, shooting straight to 250,000U. The day I paid off my first debt, I walked along the river for two hours. The wind was biting, and suddenly I understood: getting back on your feet never depends on luck, but on doing the right thing over and over again.

Half a year later, my account stabilized at 500,000U. People who’ve climbed out of the mud know best—it’s not debt that’s scary, but sinking deeper on the wrong path. Now my account is steady in eight figures, and looking back at those days, it’s a flood of emotions.

If you’re in the darkness right now, remember: first, stop your restless hands, steady your panicked heart, then find the right rhythm and follow it. If I could climb back from rock bottom, that’s the best example you could have.