I'm happy to see the Mayo Clinic addressed this topic in their recent post (lapse vs relapse).
Navigating Unexpected Challenges After Quitting Smoking: Tips for Success and Stress Management
Slip (lapse) vs Relapse When Quitting
Although there is some disagreement about whether slips actually do exist when quitting nicotine and other drugs, most addiction specialists do differential between the two. It’s not about giving yourself permission to have “just one”. It’s about not walking away from your quit and feeling like a failure. That feeling can last for many years before you attempt to quit again. Feeling like a failure can be self-defeating and leaves people feeling hopeless about the possibility of achieving their goal.
A slip is one or two cigarettes after you quit. For most people, even “I’ll have just one”, could be harder for you to stay smokefree. But a slip is different from a relapse. A relapse means going back to smoking regularly.
What you can learn from a slip is that it’s a temporary setback. You have not failed and you’re not back to square one. A slip doesn’t make you a smoker again. It also isn’t an excuse to relapse and go back to smoking regularly.
The following addiction agencies and centers recognize that there is a distinction. With years of experience treating individuals with addictions, I believe they have a better understanding of identifying and treating addictions than the average lay person.
“So, does this mean that even a brief lapse must lead to a full-blown relapse? Does it mean a person must continue to drink or drug until the use returns to the initial level? Is spiraling out of control inevitable? Simply put, no. A lapse need not become a relapse. After a slip, you have not unlearned all that you have learned. You have not unchanged all that you have changed in your life to support your recovery. You do not have to start counting again from day one.
If you view your lapse as a mistake and as a product of external triggers, rather than as a personal failure, research shows that you will have a much better chance of returning to abstinence quickly. Your lapse becomes a tool to move forward and to strengthen your motivation to change, your identification of triggers and urge-controlling techniques, your rational coping skills, and the lifestyle changes needed to lead a more balanced life.
Does this mean that a person should view these lapses as a good thing? Of course not! Clearly, if one wants to abstain, lapses are not preferred. But by recognizing that mistakes can happen and learning how to quickly right oneself, long-term abstinence can be achieved. Lapses may occur, but relapse is not inevitable.”
Smart Recovery, San Diego
“When a person “slips” in recovery they can decide to return to their old habits and lose everything they have so far achieved and relapse or use their new perspective to move forward more cautiously.”
Steps to Recovery, Levitttown PA
“Many researchers and others in the addiction treatment space split the physical relapse stage into two types of re-engagement: relapse and a lesser type of use known as a lapse or slip (the terms are often used interchangeably in regard to addiction). A slip may have different definitions depending on who you ask, but all point to a controlled and often one-time return to drinking or engaging in drug use.
The most important difference between a slip and relapse is the desire to stay sober and the motivation to continue the course of recovery. A slip or a lapse is characterized by the individual maintaining their commitment to their treatment even after wavering. By contrast, a full-blown relapse is a complete return to the pattern of drug-using behavior prior which is also often accompanied by an abandonment of relapse prevention practices.”
Amethyst Recovery Center
A small number of references of the many available that recognize the difference between the slipping vs relapse.
https://alcoholicsanonymous.com/addictions/slip-vs-relapse/
https://smokefree.gov/stay-smokefree-good/stick-with-it/slips-relapses
https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-topics/quitting-smoking-preventing-slips-or-relapses
https://www.nicotinedependenceclinic.com/en/slips-relapses
https://www.mayo.edu/research/documents/040113a-relapse-prevention-and-follow-up-poteruchapdf/doc-10...
https://www.pyramid-healthcare.com/slip-versus-relapse/
https://americanaddictioncenters.org/treat-drug-relapse
https://www.stepstorecovery.com/rehab-blog/is-there-a-difference-between-a-slip-and-a-relapse/
https://simpleandpractical.com/slip-management-plan/
https://alcoholrehab.com/alcohol-recovery/the-difference-between-a-slip-and-a-relapse/
Barb
