Relapse, verb - - to fall or slip back into a former state,
practice, etc.: to relapse into silence. - to fall back into
illness after convalescence or apparent recovery. - to fall back
into vice, wrongdoing, or error; backslide: to relapse into
heresy. A common view of relapses is that the start of the
relapse is when you fall back into your former state of being.
For example, for an alcoholic, his relapse starts when he takes
his first sip after a period of sobriety. For someone diagnosed
with clinical depression, his relapse starts with the onset of
his depression. For a smoker, his relapse starts when he takes
his first puff (after a long break). For an emotional eater, his
relapse begins when he has a binge attack after a period of
healthy eating. This view is good in that it helps you to
categorize the periods when you are “down” and the periods when
you are “clean”. It helps you to work toward the goal of
becoming “clean” – clean of the addiction, clean of the bad
habit, or clean of the bad practice. T