Addiction relapse

The paper examines the phenomenon of addiction relapse from the "Addictive Processes" frame of reference. Consistently high relapse rates (seventy-five to ninety percent) which have been reported throughout the literature for a variety of compulsive behaviors support the conceptualization of addiction as a family of social problem behaviors which share essential similarities. Relapse studies are cited from the areas of compulsive drug or alcohol use, smoking, and criminal recidivism. Mechanisms from biochemical, psychological and social arenas are then explored as causal factors which underlie the apparent recalcitrance typical in a wide spectrum of addictive disorders. A core relapse prevention strategy is suggested as a flexible device, modifiable in accord with the particular addictive disturbance in question.