"Slipped up" / "fell off the wagon" → had a lapse

Stigma-preferred language

Definition

Both phrases imply carelessness and both make a clinical event sound like a joke. "Lapse" is precise and neutral, and it distinguishes a single event from a sustained return.

Preferred phrasing

had a lapse · returned to gambling once.

Source

Primary source for this whole section: https://www.recoveryanswers.org/addiction-ary/ Supporting: https://pttcnetwork.org/non-stigmatizing-language/ · https://www.recoveryanswers.org/research-post/person-first-language-heroin-use-disorder/

Cite this

Betttr. ""Slipped up" / "fell off the wagon" → had a lapse." The Gambling Recovery Glossary. https://betttr.net/glossary/slipped-up-fell-off-the-wagon/ (accessed 2026-09-20).

Last updated: 2026-09-20.

Corrections: support@betttr.net