Which stage describes a client who has reverted back to their original behavior?

• A. Action
• B. Relapse
• C. Contemplation
• D. Maintenance

Answer: (B)

Relapse describes slipping back into the original behavior after a period of attempting to change. This reflects the nonlinear reality of behavior change, where setbacks can occur and are part of the process rather than a total failure. In many change models, after someone starts taking action or has been maintaining new habits, old triggers or life stressors can cause a return to prior patterns, prompting a restart of the change cycle. The other stages involve ongoing progress instead of returning to the old pattern: action is actively making the new behavior; maintenance is sustaining it over time; contemplation is just considering change without taking action yet.