Fell back into a previous condition or behavior after appearing to improve, especially returning to an addiction or illness.
From Latin 'relapsus,' past participle of 'relabi' (to slip back). The prefix 're-' means again, and 'labi' means to slip or fall, literally 'to slip back.'
Neuroscience shows that relapse is part of recovery for most addictions—the brain's reward pathways are so deeply trained that one stressful moment can activate old patterns, which is why recovery is so hard and takes so long.
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