Updates
Peerakeet is officially in beta testing with real users.
Over the past week, our team has been closely observing how people move through the product, where they pause, and what they come back to. We are running research and shipping updates quickly in response to early feedback, especially around onboarding clarity, matching expectations, and how people want to show up in peer conversations.
This phase is about listening first. Every change we make right now is informed directly by what users are telling us, both explicitly and through behavior.
Pulse Insight: The New Year Pressure Nobody Talks About
The start of a new year is often positioned as a moment for change, yet research suggests it can also increase psychological strain. Periods of goal-setting are associated with heightened self-monitoring and social comparison, which can amplify perceived gaps between current behavior and idealized expectations (Baumeister & Heatherton, 1996; Wood & Neal, 2007).
For individuals navigating addiction or mental health challenges, this dynamic carries particular risk. Research on shame and self-stigma shows that when unmet goals are interpreted as personal failure, individuals are more likely to disengage, conceal struggles, and withdraw from support, all of which are associated with increased relapse risk and worsening mental health outcomes (Luoma et al., 2007; Tangney et al., 2007).
Importantly, evidence suggests that it is not stress itself that predicts disengagement, but shame-based appraisal. Early perceived failure reduces help-seeking, decreases disclosure, and undermines self-efficacy across substance use, depression, and behavior change literature (Marlatt & Donovan, 2005; Corrigan et al., 2014).
Conversely, peer support and social connection act as protective factors during periods of vulnerability. Studies consistently show that nonjudgmental, reciprocal peer support is associated with improved engagement, reduced isolation, and stronger maintenance of recovery-oriented behaviors, particularly when support is available outside of acute crisis moments (Dennis, 2003; Tracy & Wallace, 2016).
From a public health perspective, this reframes the new year less as a test of individual willpower and more as a period where sustained connection may be especially important.
Why This Matters
At Peerakeet, we are building around the idea that support should not be conditional on “doing well.” Connection should be available before things fall apart, not after.
As this year starts, we are thinking less about resolutions and more about continuity. How do people stay connected through uncertainty, imperfection, and uneven progress?
That question is shaping how we build, how we listen, and how we show up.
References
Baumeister, R. F., & Heatherton, T. F. (1996). Self-regulation failure. Psychological Inquiry.
Wood, W., & Neal, D. T. (2007). A new look at habits and the habit-goal interface. Psychological Review.
Luoma, J. B., et al. (2007). An investigation of stigma in individuals receiving treatment for substance abuse. Addictive Behaviors.
Tangney, J. P., et al. (2007). Proneness to shame, proneness to guilt, and psychopathology. Journal of Abnormal Psychology.
Marlatt, G. A., & Donovan, D. M. (2005). Relapse Prevention. Guilford Press.
Corrigan, P. W., et al. (2014). The impact of mental illness stigma on help-seeking. American Psychologist.
Dennis, M. L. (2003). An experimental evaluation of recovery management checkups (RMC) for people with chronic substance use disorders. Evaluation and Program Planning.
Tracy, K., & Wallace, S. (2016). Benefits of peer support groups in the treatment of addiction. Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation.