relapse
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relapse
The reappearance of an illness or addiction after there has already been an improvement or a period of abstinence.
Nach drei Monaten ohne Alkohol erlitt er einen schweren Rückfall.
After three months without alcohol, he suffered a serious relapse.
The word is made up of 'rück' (back) and 'Fall' (fall). So it literally describes a 'fall back' into an earlier, usually negative state. It is the noun form of the verb 'zurückfallen' (to fall back/relapse).
Der Rückfall in seine alte Sucht war für alle ein Schock.
The relapse into his old addiction was a shock for everyone.
'Rückfall' (relapse) is very often combined with the verbs 'erleiden' (to suffer) or 'haben' (to have). The phrase 'einen Rückfall erleiden' (to suffer a relapse) is somewhat more formal and is often used in medical contexts.
Der Patient hat leider einen Rückfall erlitten.
Unfortunately, the patient suffered a relapse.
To express which state someone falls back into, the preposition 'in' is used with the accusative. This pattern is very common.
Sie fürchtet einen Rückfall in ihre Depression.
She fears a relapse into her depression.
You can recognize this meaning from a context related to medicine, psychology, or addiction. Typical signal words are 'Krankheit' (illness), 'Sucht' (addiction), 'Therapie' (therapy), 'Alkohol' (alcohol), or 'Drogen' (drugs).
Die Therapie soll einen Rückfall des Patienten verhindern.
The therapy is meant to prevent the patient's relapse.
return
'die Rückkehr' and 'der Rückfall' can both express that something returns to an earlier state. The important difference is the evaluation: 'die Rückkehr' is neutral and can be positive, negative, or simply factual. 'der Rückfall' is almost always negative, for example with an illness, an addiction, or an old bad behavior. Learners may confuse the words because both describe a kind of going back. If the earlier state is bad or an improvement is lost, 'Rückfall' fits better.
Nach einigen ruhigen Wochen hatte der Patient leider einen Rückfall.
After a few quiet weeks, the patient unfortunately had a relapse.
Viele wünschen sich eine Rückkehr zur normalen Arbeit nach der langen Pause.
Many people want a return to normal work after the long break.