danny,
When one starting out has high success during times when odds supported anyone to have success, one starts thinking and believing that he is good. As the market starts proving you wrong, you become as the gambler, then little later one might become more desperate and go for that hail-mary when odds are not with you, and you end up losing more. Now this is the general case but since you are seeking to find out more that means you are on right track to long recovery. Here are a few of my suggestions:
-- I had suggested earlier that if possible take some time off, Actually you might want to forget about the markets for a long while; I know this is hard but that's what helped me intitually get back on track.
-- Find out what type of trading or investing style/method suits you best (for me intermediate term does); Consider all aspects of it. And try to stick to one and only one for now and for a while. Do not mix and try doing all sorts of stuff at once. If you cannot do this then you still do not have the disciplinbe it takes.
--Once you decide to start your method/style of trading, start with a small account. Think of it as schooling in progress and not "I need to try and get back all I lost".
--You know yourself; Do you have the discipline it takes? Can you comfortably use some reliable technical analysis tools to tell when to buy/sell or stay put? Are you patient or do you feel like the folks in Vegas who want to be rolling the dice all the time even when odds are not on their side? Can you guage where we are in a market cycle? Can you spot topping patterns? If you do can you pull the trigger on that company you loved? Or would you be in paralysis waiting another day to see?
--What trading books did you read? How do you guage or conclude that they were any good? Lots of Bozos have written lots of books. People new to trading won't have a clue which is which. Another reason to take your time. My suggestion is read and re-read, and the meditate and read again all 3 books by Justin Mamis.
--In case you watch CNBC, CNNFN, spend time web sites like street.com then my advice is forget them. They are nothing but "noise generators" that will affect your judgement.
--Watch out from the crowd mentality. Do you feel the need to be loved and approved of on message boards. This and previous bullet could make you very blind to be objective about your stock and market analysis.
well, I hope I was of help to you. Best wishes.
rednite