There are several significant problems with both Marlatt's and Pithers' relapse prevention (RP) models. It is argued in this paper that there are good empirical, theoretical, and practical reasons for viewing the offense and relapse process as functionally equivalent. The core construct in both these traditionally different models is the problem behavior process. The application of a framework based on the problem behavior process has significant theoretical and clinical advantages and can overcome the major difficulties associated with Marlatt's and Pithers'RP models.
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