What a book may say or the opinions of others are is not how I list what is what.
What I have lived is how I judge it.
Both a slip and a relapse have the same start...Stinking thinking.
I can handle just a sip. As I justify the sip in my thought.
The slip happens with the thought I allowed grow into actions.
The slip was me forgetting what I am or thinking I had power over alcohol to any degree. A tiny little sip won't hurt me. I can handle a sip.
A sip and a slip are but one letter off. It wasn't the sip I see as the slip but the thought that came before it.
I would see a relapse as taking the warning that came with just a sip and carrying it to the next stage...just a half of a glass won't hurt.
The warning comes. Your eyes become opened to the danger you just put yourself in and then... You ignore the warning...Stinking thinking, denial, or just not careing any more and you are in relapse. Just smelling the cork could be seen as a slip. The warning ignored and you are in relapse.
Both a slip and a relapse start with a thought...a selfish or prideful thought.
Both are stopped by staying with our recovery program...every day. (even when we have years behind us)