Lapse

Recovery language

Definition

A single return to gambling after a period of not gambling. A lapse is one event, not the end of recovery, and most people who stop gambling have one at some point. Treating a lapse as a data point — what happened right before it — is more useful than treating it as proof of failure.

Preferred phrasing

"had a lapse" or "gambled once after stopping." Avoid "slipped up," which sounds careless, and avoid "fell off the wagon."

Source

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

Cite this

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

Last updated: 2026-09-20.

Corrections: support@betttr.net