Relapse, as a clinical term, is the loss of ground gained toward health or the return of a bad habit following a period of cessation. Not unlike a lapse, which is a single occurrence of the habitual behavior, relapse is often associated with feelings of guilt and shame, and accompanied by self-degrading thoughts. Relapse prevention is an approach to therapy or education that teaches ways to indentify and anticipate triggers or precipitators of relapse. Relapse prevention also teaches behavioral coping strategies for managing high-risk situations in which triggers are present as well as coping strategies for urges, cravings, and negative emotional states that often precipitate relapse.