

“The data suggests that people who are most vulnerable – those with job insecurity, reduced job hours, unemployment, pandemic-related stress, women, and those who were already consuming alcohol – tended to increase their alcohol use during the pandemic.įrench goes on to explain that research studies into the motivations of increased alcohol use cite coping with stress, loneliness, boredom, and a lack of structure coupled with more time. In terms of alcohol use specifically, the story is a bit more complicated in that some people have increased consumption while others have decreased,” French said. “Generally, people are certainly more stressed and lonely during the pandemic.

Kimberly French, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Psychology, shared insights into this phenomenon.

Reframe’s co-founders attribute the fast growth of their company to the large increase in alcohol abuse caused by the pandemic, as those struggling with drinking problems felt increasingly isolated with limited remote options for seeking help. The two entrepreneurs note that their app can put a recovery center in the user’s pocket at “one thousandth of comparable cost” of a physical facility. “People want to be told what to do more than we expected.” While of many their app’s users might not want to seek out professional help, they still want structured guidance, which is what the app provides, Pradeep said. Gao and Pradeep said that many people who use the app would never go to recovery centers, which are often expensive, or a program like Alcoholics Anonymous, which they might consider stigmatic. On their journeys, they can track their progress and how much money they’ve saved from not drinking.” Integrating fitness, nutrition, and self-care, we want to help users create lives where drinking alcohol is not considered helpful or attractive anymore.

Reframe helps break bad habits by replacing them with good things that bring balance into life. “But it’s easy to click a button and distract yourself. “When you’re in the middle of a craving, your judgment is clouded,” Pradeep said. The app’s features include games, messages, meditations, breathing exercises, and a journaling component. The Reframe app’s 120-day program provides diversions that interrupt users from the urge to consume alcohol during a typical 20-minute craving.
