The gambling lifestyle: II. Treatment

Two individuals with records of prior compulsive gambling involvement are profiled in order to illustrate the nature of a gambling lifestyle and describe the process of lifestyle change. The treatment model utilized by therapists proposing a lifestyle interpretation of compulsive gambling behavior is guided by three primary objectives or goals: (1) the cessation of lifestyle activities; (2) the development of skills useful in managing gambling-related conditions, choices, and cognitions; and (3) the implementation of an effective program of follow-up intervention and support. These goals give rise to the three stages of lifestyle intervention - (1) laying a foundation for change, (2) identifying vehicles for change, and (3) establishing a reinforcing nongambling life-style-from which specific change strategies are derived. The implications of this model and the possibility of limited generalizability are discussed.