A psychologist makes the case that the highs and lows of being a sports fan are not just entertainment, they are doing real work for your mental health. The conversation traces what happens physiologically when a game gets tense, why grief and joy need each other to feel like anything at all, and why losing as a fan might matter just as much as winning.
From there the discussion turns to the line between healthy fandom and something more dangerous, including a direct warning about what sports gambling is doing to people’s relationship with the games they love. It closes on a question worth sitting with: is it better to live life in the stands, on the field, or somewhere in between. Listeners get a grounded, research-backed reason to stop feeling guilty about caring this much about a game.
Topics: fandom mental health, sports emotional outlet, sports gambling, stands versus the game, collaboration
GUEST: Dr. Perry Adler | http://humanexus.ca
Originally aired on2026-06-30
