Gambling, Addiction & Recovery Articles
How to Help an Adult Child With Addiction Without Enabling
Online Gambling Therapy in Illinois: What to Expect From Telehealth Treatment
Gambling mostly happens on a phone now. A Chicago therapist on what online gambling treatment in Illinois actually involves, what the research shows, and how to start.
Do I Have a Drinking Problem? How to Tell When Your Life Still Looks Fine
Your job is fine. Your relationships are mostly intact. And you keep making rules about drinking — then renegotiating them. A Chicago addiction therapist on how to tell whether you have a drinking problem before anything falls apart.
Crypto Trading Addiction: When Investing Starts to Feel Like Gambling
Crypto is not gambling — but the way a person trades can be. A Chicago therapist on the signs, what the research actually shows, and what treatment looks like.
ADHD and Gambling Addiction: Why the Risk Is Higher—and What Helps
ADHD can make gambling unusually hard to control — impulsivity, immediate reward, boredom, and the difficulty of stopping once you have started. A Chicago addiction therapist on why the risk is higher, and what actually helps.
Signs Your Teen or Young Adult Might Be Struggling With Addiction
Every warning sign for addiction at this age also describes an ordinary teenager. What actually carries weight, why gambling looks nothing like substance use, and what changes at eighteen.
Can You Moderate Your Drinking? A Therapist’s Guide to Moderation vs. Quitting
Maybe. For some people moderation is a realistic goal; for others, repeatedly trying to control drinking becomes part of the problem. A Chicago addiction therapist on how to tell which one you are — and what the research actually says.
Video Game Loot Boxes and Gambling: Should Parents Worry?
Loot boxes are built on the same reinforcement schedule as a slot machine. What the research shows, what it doesn’t, and the guardrails that actually matter.
How to Stop Chasing Gambling Losses
You lost $500, then another $500 trying to get it back, and now stopping means accepting you’re down $1,000. A Chicago addiction therapist on why chasing feels so reasonable in the moment — and what actually interrupts it.
Is Day Trading Gambling? 10 Signs Trading Has Crossed the Line
"I have a system, so it isn’t gambling." A Chicago gambling therapist on why that misses the point — the tell is control, not skill — plus 10 signs trading has crossed the line, from chasing losses to revenge trading.
Gambling Addiction and Mental Health: How It Affects Anxiety, Depression, and Relationships
Gambling rarely stays contained. Here’s how it intertwines with anxiety, depression, and the people closest to you.
Teen Gambling: How to Talk to Your Teen Before Betting Becomes a Problem
Loot boxes, parlays, fantasy, sweeps coins: a Chicago gambling therapist on how to talk with your teen about gambling before the first bet — plus the warning signs, and what to do if they are already betting.
Can Therapy Help Gambling Addiction? What Evidence-Based Treatment Actually Looks Like
Yes — and cognitive behavioral therapy has the strongest evidence behind it. What gambling treatment actually targets, session by session, and where the research is weaker than you’ll be told.
Gambling Addiction in Chicago: Signs, Treatment Options, and Where to Get Help
You don’t have to lose your job or empty your savings before gambling is worth addressing. The signs, what treatment does, Illinois self-exclusion, and where to get help in Chicago.
Do I Have a Gambling Problem? 10 Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore
Most people who ask this question are not asking on a whim. Ten signs, what the clinical definitions actually measure, and a free two-minute screen that stores nothing.
How to Stop Binge Drinking on Weekends: A Therapist’s Guide
You can go all week without drinking. So why can’t you stop once you start on Friday? A therapist’s plan for the hours when the decision actually gets made.
Therapy, IOP, Rehab, or Detox? How to Choose Alcohol Treatment in Chicago
Therapists, IOPs, residential programs and detox ads all use the same language. A Chicago addiction therapist on what each level of alcohol treatment actually provides, and why the right starting point is an assessment, not a program name.
My Partner Drinks Too Much. What Can I Do?
You do not have to prove your partner has alcohol use disorder before addressing how their drinking affects you. A Chicago addiction therapist on describing the impact, making a concrete request, holding boundaries, and getting support that is yours.
Alcohol and Anxiety: When Drinking to Relax Keeps You Stuck
The first drink can feel like the moment the day finally ends. A Chicago addiction therapist on why alcohol works so well for anxiety, why the anxiety comes back worse the next day, and how to change the sequence rather than just the drink.