Volatility is up, stocks are down… and things don’t appear to be getting any easier. The Cboe Volatility Index is up 108% in October. That’s a lot. And the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 608 points, which leaves it basically flat for the year.

That seems like a lot of points, considering the Dow dropped 508 on October 19, 1987. Fortunately, 608 on Wednesday isn’t anywhere near Black Monday’s 22.6% plunge in percentage terms, but these 2% to 3% changes wear on investors’ nerves nonetheless.