Problem Gambling: A Guide for Helping Professionals

Problem Gambling: A Guide for Helping Professionals
When clients reach the “Action” stage, helping professionals should
support their efforts and and commitment. Give them lots of praise
and encouragement to move them to the next stage.
Maintenance
The person is adjusting to the change and learning and practicing
new skills.
“I’m taking things one step at a time.”
Help the client come up with some strategies to maintain the change.
Continue to praise the client’s efforts and progress. Acknowledge that
slips happen. Encourage clients to develop relapse prevention skills.
At this point, clients may feel motivated to take on a second job as a way
of quickly repairing the financial damage caused by their gambling.
This can be helpful in demonstrating responsible behaviour, restoring
trust and avoiding further borrowing; however, recovery from gambling
also requires a restoration of balance within the person’s life. This
includes striking a healthy balance between work, family and leisure
pursuits and not just replacing gambling with work.
Relapse
The person has not maintained the change.
“I had an extra fifty bucks and I felt lucky.”
Work with clients to bring them back to maintenance stage. The
client may be back at the first stage again.
(Adapted from the work of Prochaska and DiClemente.)
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