IOP
Intensive Outpatient Program
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Conditions we treat · Process addictions
Process Addiction Treatment in Media, PA
Gambling, gaming, compulsive shopping or scrolling. Behaviors without a substance can still take over a life the same way. The loop of anticipation, reward and crash runs through the same circuits in the brain, and the shame that keeps people quiet is just as real. Process addictions are treatable.
Does this sound familiar?
- Chasing losses, or one more round, one more purchase
- Hiding time or money spent from people close to you
- Needing more of it to get the same feeling
- Restlessness or irritability when you try to stop
- Borrowing, missed bills or missed obligations
- You have tried to quit on your own and it has not held
Clinically reviewed
Rachel Garber, MS, CAADC, LPC · Primary Therapist
Content reviewed October 2026
Behavioral addictions are real addictions.
About 1%
of U.S. adults meet the criteria for gambling disorder, with millions more at risk.
Source: National Council on Problem Gambling
2 to 3%
experience problem gambling serious enough to affect work, relationships or finances.
Source: National Council on Problem Gambling
Recognized
the World Health Organization added gaming disorder to its international disease classification.
Source: WHO, ICD-11
No substance is involved, but the pattern is familiar: escalating use, failed attempts to stop and a life quietly organized around the behavior. Therapy built for this pattern works, and recovery is genuinely common.
Treatment for process addictions
Rebuilding structure is the treatment.
Process addictions live in routines: the time of day, the device, the boredom, the stress. Treatment maps those loops and replaces them, while also treating the depression, anxiety or ADHD that often sits underneath.
Call Now (484) 572-37131. We map the pattern
When, where and why the behavior takes over. CBT-based work makes the loop visible before it can be changed.
2. We rebuild daily structure
Practical plans for money, time and routines, so evenings and weekends stop being the danger zone.
3. We repair the relationships it strained
Family sessions help rebuild trust and make the people around you part of the plan instead of part of the worry.
Support that meets you where you are
Real care. A life beyond treatment.
Mental Health IOP, with room for the life you’re building.
What treatment looks like
A week in the program
Treatment is not one conversation and a pamphlet. Here is what the work actually involves, and why each piece matters.
CBT and behavior change
Evidence-based work on the thoughts and routines that drive the behavior, with concrete plans for the moments it pulls hardest.
Group therapy
Groups where compulsive patterns are discussed openly, without the shame that keeps them hidden.
Co-occurring mood care
Treatment for the depression, anxiety or ADHD that often drives compulsive behavior, including medication management when it fits.
Family and financial repair
Sessions that help families understand the pattern and rebuild trust and transparency around time and money.
Process addictions and mental health
The behavior is rarely the whole story.
Compulsive gambling, gaming or spending often grows out of anxiety, depression, trauma or ADHD, and then feeds them. We treat the behavior and what is underneath it together, in one plan.
Before you call
Questions people ask about process addiction treatment
Is this really an addiction?
Yes. Gambling disorder is in the DSM-5, and the WHO recognizes gaming disorder. The pattern of escalation, failed control and continued harm is the same machinery as substance addiction.
Do I have to give everything up at once?
No. Treatment starts with an honest look at the pattern and what it is costing you. Decisions about change are made with you, one step at a time.
What if I also drink or use substances?
That is common, and we treat both together rather than pretending one does not exist.
Can I keep working while in treatment?
Discuss your responsibilities and the current mental health IOP schedule with admissions to see how treatment can fit.
How long does treatment last?
It depends on you. Your care team builds a schedule around your needs and adjusts it as you make progress. Continuing care is planned as you prepare to finish IOP.
Areas we serve
Treatment close to home
Our Media, PA programs welcome people from across Delaware County and the Main Line, with virtual options across Pennsylvania.
Paying for treatment
Insurance should never be the reason you wait.
We work with most major insurance carriers and verify your coverage before treatment begins, with affordable private-pay options. Free benefits check, no obligation.
Shown carriers are examples. Call to confirm coverage for your plan.
Most major insurers
We work with most major insurance carriers. Share your details and our admissions team will check your benefits for you.
Benefits verified up front
Our admissions team verifies your coverage with your insurer before treatment begins, so you know what is covered before you commit.
Affordable private pay
No insurance, or prefer not to use it? Ask about our affordable private-pay rates and flexible options for treatment.
You don’t have to do this alone
A conversation can change everything.
Let’s find the right next step. For you, or someone you love.