KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — During the first wave of COVID-19, people faced more than just uncertain times. A new coronavirus was spreading, causing people to stay inside to prevent their communities from falling ill and possibly dying. As a result, isolation was common across the U.S.
According to research, the COVID-19 pandemic could have led to a rise in alcohol-related deaths as more people turned to substances to calm their stress.
Researchers found that in 2019, around 80,000 people died from alcohol-related causes. But in 2020, that number increased to almost 100,000. Families in East Tennessee felt the impact that substance abuse could bring, especially during a pandemic.
"It hurts a lot, to lose someone to substance abuse," said Richard Corter, who just finished a program at the Tennessee Wellness Center. "I graduated two weeks ago, and I feel that I have all the tools in my toolbox that I need to conquer this disease."
Corter said that before he got help, he was struggling with substance abuse — including alcohol abuse. While he recovered from it, he said he wished a loved one could have done the same.
Around two weeks after he finished his program, he said his sister passed away from drug and alcohol abuse.
"I never in my life saw myself burying my sister," he said. "And it was a week ago today that we held her funeral in Indiana."
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, many people across the U.S. used drugs and alcohol to cope with stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic. For Corter, he said the pandemic caused depression and anxiety. He said it also forced him to face unresolved trauma.
More than 2,000 people die of excessive alcohol use per year in Tennessee. The Tennessee Wellness Center said many of those lives could be saved just by trying to help people feel connected to their community.
"I think what we offer at Tennessee Wellness Center is that sense of connection, and that support, and that community for people," said Brady Kinkade over business development.
The center said friends and family can be the support that people struggling with addiction need. People who choose to drink instead of finishing responsibilities related to work or family may need help, they said. Other signs of substance abuse include isolating themselves and drinking alone, or in secrecy.
And anyone who wants to find help for themselves can reach out to Tennessee REDLINE, a resource for substance abuse treatment referrals. It can be reached at 800-889-9789.