Not at all, you either fall into the select chosen few who get support of you do not. Same thing happens once you start getting small support, you open your mouth on a taboo topic or offend the wrong person and you get shunned.
Self voting isn't really an issue until it becomes you give yourself three or four 100% up votes per week while giving those below you trying to grow sub 5% votes unless they are your "friends" in which you give 25% to 50% votes too.
I find trending comical and often tell new people it is the bought and paid section and they should just avoid it.
You my friend have to be more consistent in amounts of your postings, that is where you seem to have fallen behind.