RICHMOND, Va. -- Experts say the pandemic has been especially hard on women. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that while heavy drinking increased among American adults by 14% in 2020 compared to 2019, it increased by 41% among women.
Charlottesville-area counselor Kelly Belew said uncertainty about the future and household chaos were contributing factors.
"You're dealing with kids. You have kids yelling at you all the time. Everybody's pulling you in different directions," Belew said. "We're superhuman. And if we don't do all the things and do them well, that, I think, causes a lot of stress for a lot of people."
Belew is part of an organization called soberIRL. The group gives people a way to casually hang out without alcohol in an effort to combat the loneliness and isolation caused by this pandemic.