Plain-English definitions of the terms recovery uses.

The degree to which a behavior runs without conscious thought. The formal property that distinguishes a habit from a goal-directed action.

The user’s own statements pointing toward change — “I want to,” “I could,” “I’m going to,” “I’ve started.” In motivational interviewing, this is what the practitioner notices and reinforces.

A strong subjective desire to engage in a behavior, reach for something, or return to a pattern. The mind’s pull, not the body’s — distinct from withdrawal.

Changing the environment so the cue that triggers an unwanted habit is no longer present — the most reliable single intervention for breaking a habit.

The three-part structure most habits run on: a cue triggers a routine, the routine produces a reward, and repetition strengthens the link until the routine fires automatically.

Replacing the routine in a habit loop while keeping the cue and reward intact. The standard intervention for habits that fill a real need but cost more than they’re worth.

A four-letter check-in for the four most common states that narrow decision-making and make unwanted habits more likely to win.

An approach to behavior change that focuses on reducing harm rather than demanding total abstinence — meeting yourself where you are instead of waiting until you’re ready to stop entirely.

A specific “if [cue], then [action]” plan that links a future situation to a planned behavior. One of the most-replicated interventions in behavior-change research.

The reliable, well-documented gap between what people intend to do and what they actually do. Most people who say they’ll do something don’t.

A lapse is a one-off slip; a relapse is the slip becoming the pattern again. The distinction is meaningful — and what you tell yourself after a slip often determines which one happens.

Medication-assisted treatment — the use of FDA-approved medications alongside behavioral therapies to treat substance-use disorders, particularly opioid and alcohol use disorders. Medical care for substance dependence; outside the everyday-habit scope of Daybreak, included here as an honest reference.

A collaborative conversation style that strengthens a person’s own motivation and commitment to change. Developed by William Miller and Stephen Rollnick.

The four core skills of motivational interviewing — the operational toolkit a trained MI practitioner uses in every conversation.

The total of internal and external resources that support behavior change — relationships, sleep, employment, mental and physical health, hope, sense of meaning. The more of it you have, the more durable any change tends to be.

A behavioral term for arranging the environment so that the cues that trigger an unwanted behavior are absent or weakened. Cue removal is one specific application.

A cue — internal or external — that activates the pull toward a behavior, often without conscious awareness. Common triggers include people, places, emotional states, times of day, smells, songs, and stress.

A mindfulness-based skill: experiencing a craving as a transient wave — observing its rise, peak, and fall — rather than acting on it or fighting it.

The body’s response to stopping something it has adapted to. Most everyday cases are mild — caffeine headaches, restlessness after dropping heavy social media — but withdrawal from some substances is medically serious.