ReVIDA Founder Details Ways To Help Out Neighbors

Fort Sanders, Tennessee -

Knoxville, TN: Recently, Lee Dilworth, the Founder and CEO of ReVIDA Recovery Centers published a piece in The Johnson City Press discussing ways for Appalachian communities to help others in the midst of a pandemic and an opioid use epidemic.

Titled “Help Vulnerable People Fight Both COVID-19 and Opioid Abuse,” Dilworth discusses how Tennesseans can step up and make a difference in the lives of their friends, family, and neighbors. Even the smallest interactions, Dilworth says, can make an impact.

“These vulnerable members of the community could be your neighbor, co-worker, or relative. They could be the young man who bags your groceries or the mom picking up her kids from practice. Due to the stigma of substance use disorders, opioids are a problem we’re all aware of in East Tennessee but rarely dwell on in public. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, that means even the most casual interactions run the risk of exposing someone with underlying conditions to further harm.”

Reaching the one-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic and continuing to climb toward a decade in the opioid epidemic, it is important to come together and bring hope to those dealing with mental health challenges and substance use challenges. They, as it turns out, are some of the most vulnerable during a health pandemic.

“In fact, a study by the National Institutes of Health recently showed that not only are people with substance use disorders more likely to experience adverse effects from COVID-19, but are more susceptible to catching the virus in the first place. That’s because people with opioid use disorder are more likely to struggle to gain access to care, may not have the food or housing resources to quarantine safely, may not have a stable income, or may struggle with social isolation that has unfortunately become an all too common occurrence this past year. If someone who struggles with opioid use disorder catches the virus, they likely also have underlying health conditions, including a weaker respiratory system, diabetes, hypertension, or other common conditions, that make the virus much more deadly.”

ReVIDA Recovery Centers, with locations in Tennessee and Virginia, promotes safe and healthy communities by empowering individuals to reclaim their lives from opioid use disorder.

ReVIDA empowers people to reclaim their lives from opioid use disorder by promoting safe, healthy, and therapeutic communities. They have helped patients overcome their addictions to many medications like codeine, Percocet®, Vicodin®, and OxyContin®.

To learn more about ReVIDA Recovery Centers, call 844-972-4673 today, or visit the website at revidarecovery.com.