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Relapse: "It's not a "failure" to remain "good", it's a sign of disease progression." - Jack Stem relapse Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, from Medieval Latin relapsus, from Latin relabi to slide back, from re- + labi to slide — more at sleep Date: 15th century 1 : the act or an instance of backsliding, worsening, or subsiding 2 : a recurrence of symptoms of a disease after a period of improvement. |
Until the stigma associated with addiction is replaced by the understanding this is a tough, chronic, progressive, and fatal disease, people will continue to die needlessly. The use of evidence based treatments work. Treatment doesn't fail when: |
* ---it is applied early in the disease process, * ---it is applied for an adequate period of time * ---it is continually reinforced *----it continues for life |
We don't blame the patient when their cancer returns. We must stop blaming the addict when their disease returns. Relapse is a process, not an event. Learn to recognize signs and symptoms of impending relapse. |
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