...What is going on here?
...
Trading can be really hard.
The 2011/2012 Bear market took over a year to get moving back up again.
However, some of the (short-term) rallies were big and fast, and there was plenty of chances to make good trades.
Things will get better.
Bear markets are what shorting was invented for. Research, foresight and understanding (work) is what makes the difference. The market condition itself is irrelevant.