One hundred percent agree with peaceful on this.
once we dip our toes into sobriety, we have only two modes: relapse or recovery. Any additional “terminology” such as “slip,” “lapse,” etc. are synonyms for relapse.
another old chestnut folks like to toss around us, “relapse is a part of recovery.” I hate that one, it’s actually detrimental to folks genuinely looking for a way out of addiction. I fell for it myself. Relapse is not a part of recovery. It’s a setback that sucks, not something to be shrugged at as inevitable.
hugs and prayers for you and your son, that he finds his sober path.