Relapse

Recovery language

Definition

A return to a previous pattern of gambling, not just a single bet — the behavior comes back and stays back for a while. Clinically it is treated the same way a return of symptoms is treated in any chronic condition: as a signal to adjust the plan, not as a moral event.

Preferred phrasing

"experienced a relapse" or "a recurrence of symptoms." Never "relapser."

Source

https://www.recoveryanswers.org/addiction-ary/

Cite this

Betttr. "Relapse." The Gambling Recovery Glossary. https://betttr.net/glossary/relapse/ (accessed 2026-09-20).

Last updated: 2026-09-20.

Corrections: support@betttr.net