Slip vs relapse

[Blessed_RN2011]

http://alcoholrehab.com/alcohol-rehab/slip-vs-relapse/

[h=1]Slip vs. Relapse[/h][h=2]Return to Addiction[/h]When people return to alcohol or drugs after a period of sobriety it can have disastrous consequences. In some cases this relapse will be short lived and the individual will be able to reestablish themselves in recovery without too many adverse consequences. Other people can once again get caught up in the downward spiral of addiction and never have another chance of escaping this.

[h=2]Relapse Defined[/h]The word relapse originates from Latin and it means to slip back. It is most often used to describe the situation when an individual who has been sober for a period of time returns to alcohol or drug use. It does not matter if this individual has only been sober for weeks, months, years, or decades. If they return to substance abuse it will be referred to as a relapse.

[h=2]Slip Defined[/h]A slip refers to a situation where an individual briefly returns to alcohol or drug use but managed to stop again before they slip back into addiction. This can happen if the individual picked up again but automatically regretted the decision. It may have been something they did on the spur of the moment, and they have not fully lost their motivation to stay sober. If the person is able to do the right things they will be able to prevent a slip turning into a relapse.

Check out this article - thought it was a good read!

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Thank you for sharing this. I had a 'slip' about a month ago, but took measures to prevent a full-blown relapse. I was pretty down on myself for a while there because I'd been sober for almost 22 years and was thinking of it as a relapse, but it really wasn't. It WAS a learning experience though, and I'm OK with it now.