Binge drinking and alcoholism escalated in the UK during the pandemic. Data from Public Health England shows a 58.6% increase in people reporting drinking at high-risk levels between March 2020 and March 2021. However, an estimated 7.9 million UK adults also took part in Dry January 2022: a 22% increase from 2021. Clearly, there is a post-pandemic shift towards sobriety and wellness.
For anyone who is reevaluating their relationship with alcohol – be it for mental, physical or financial health reasons – summer can be a challenging time to maintain sober habits, with all the boozy barbeques, festivals and sunny soirees shown off on Instagram.
Social media platforms have become our main form of connection online, with global communities now able to exchange life hacks, support, and experiences with one another. There are also sobriety-focused smartphone apps that can be a lifeline to people who are trying to avoid relapsing, helping them feel less alone in their sober journey.
Dry has highlighted five apps that may help you on your way to sober milestones. Not only do these apps allow you to track your progress, they might help you meet like-minded friends or partners, too.
- Socialising sober – Sober Grid
- Platforms: iOS, Google Play
- Features: Sobriety counter, habit tracker, online community
Sometimes you just need to speak to someone who understands what you are going through. Sober Grid claims to be the #1 sober social network for people recovering from alcohol abuse, helping users to discover other sober people in their neighbourhoods to engage with in a 24/7 peer support network.
The app combines active digital therapy, mental health resources and an extensive online community for long-term recovery. Features include a sobriety counter where you can unlock recovery badges and virtual daily check-ins.
The access to a safe network of sober people Sober Grid provides may help people in their recovery, alongside the support received in more formal settings.
- Dating dry – LOOSID
- Platforms: iOS, Google Play
- Features: Sober dating, boozeless guides, chat groups
“Sober shouldn’t be sombre” is the message of the Loosid app, created with the belief that sobriety is the start of good times, not the end. The app is both a celebration of sobriety and a sober dating app, where going dry does not hold you back from romance.
Loosid’s main selling point is helping sober singles to mingle, date and work towards and practice sobriety together, without having to face the dreaded “I don’t drink” conversation. Through the Tinder-style dating feature on the app, it’s easy to find other people with the same lifestyle and perspective as you, without compromising your path to sobriety.
The app provides a free suite of recovery tools for members of the Loosid community struggling with their addiction, promoting mindfulness and wellbeing.
- Just checking in – Sober Tool
- Platforms: iOS, Google Play
- Features: Sobriety counter, chat forum, motivational rewards
TOP SOBRIETY APP: Visit us: APPLE: https://t.co/lhzwZziMJl … … … … … … … … … … … … … … ANDROID: https://t.co/SIAPimAwHc … … … … … … … … … … … … #addiction #addictionrecovery #alcoholic #alcoholism #recovery #RecoveryPosse #sober #treatment #sobriety pic.twitter.com/2i00xaIv9d
— SOBERTOOL (@SoberTool_App) February 25, 2022
When alcohol cravings come unexpectedly, SoberTool offers immediate help at your fingertips. Developed by a Harvard-educated certified alcoholism counsellor, this app has been designed by professionals for recovering alcoholics who want to stay sober.
The best thing about SoberTool is that, if you get the urge to relapse, just opening the app will show you a message to curb your specific craving. A dropdown of questions on the main page will then lead you to healthy coping strategies that are relevant to the emotions you are feeling.
Opt-in for daily recovery messages and congratulatory rewards to stay driven in your sobriety, or feed your thoughts into the app’s search engine for constructive and supportive affirmations.
- Healthy habits – I Am Sober
- Platforms: iOS, Google Play
- Features: Sober day tracker, sobriety calculator, daily pledge
A strong support system is key to strengthening your resolve to quit drinking. With the I Am Sober app, you can track your sobriety and connect with a community of people to support you.
Beyond sobriety counting and logging major milestones, the app pledges to help you build new habits. Your motivation? There is a whole network of people striving to do the same thing, who share their tactics to tackle addiction, one day at a time.
The best feature of I Am Sober is that you can customise it to your lifestyle: set a sobriety birthday, personalise with pictures, receive motivational messages and journal your recovery process directly in the app.
- Tracking recovery – Nomo
- Platforms: iOS, Google Play
- Features: Shareable clocks, money-saved statistics, check-in stamps
Nomo was created by Parker Stech during his own recovery from addiction. Saying “no more” to bad habits, the app uses simple clocks to track your sober streak and celebrate healthy habits. It also has clock-sharing features, accountability partners and uses milestone awards to encourage dedication within a community.
So far, over 3,255,114 clocks have been created by users. Nomo also offers optional features like mindfulness journaling and mini-distraction exercises that help you to stay focused on your sober goals. You’ll also find personalised financial and health statistics, which shows how much money you have saved by getting sober,
The app even allows you to send notifications to your accountability partners, friends and family when you are feeling tempted, using a check-in button on shared clocks to help foster active support in your sobriety.
Featured picture: Rob Hampson on Unsplash