Many like him are lost between a compromise and a fantasy, she says. Add to that the husbands and wives who sacrifice their own careers to wait in limbo for a spouse's big payoff. Then there are the families who put off having children for years. For people in option limbo, the theory goes, dips in the market become emotional catastrophes. In the age of the day trader, when stocks can soar and fall dozens of points on innuendo alone, any given day can be a disaster.
People become hyper-vigilant and tense.
People that are anxious became hyper-anxious. People that are depressed become hyper-depressed. When a company's stock flames out for good, it leaves behind charred souls. They get frozen and numb around issues of money. It's almost like post-traumatic stress disorder.