New support group in town helps teens toward recovery
GREENWICH — When she was 14, Briana Pellicci was diagnosed with depression. And in the years that followed, she struggled with crying spells, difficulty in getting out of bed and a desire to isolate herself from friends and family. During the winter, Pellicci suffered more acutely.
“Seasonal depression is very hard to deal with, especially in the Connecticut area, where winters are cold and it almost feels like winter is never-ending and it’s just always dark out,” she said.
“Looking back, I just wished there was a program where I could have talked to other teens, (so) I knew I wasn’t alone.”
On Wednesday, the now-23year-old Pellicci will get a chance to provide that safety net to other youth who are struggling with addiction and mental health issues. From 5:30 to 7 p.m. each Wednesday at the
Greenwich YMCA, she and a co-facilitator will lead a free support group called Smart Recovery, which focuses on empowering eighth- through 12th-graders to make positive changes in their lives.
The 90-minute Smart Recovery group begins with a “checkin process,” when attendees can share any experiences or thoughts. Based on the sharing, co-facilitators steer the group toward exploring one of Smart Recovery’s four skill-building points: building and maintaining motivation, coping with urges, managing tough feelings and behaviors and living a balanced
life. After a recent outpouring of interest from volunteers, organizers decided to also start a Smart Recovery group for 18- to 25-year-olds in Stamford that will meet from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, starting on Feb. 18, at the Stamford Government Center on the sixth floor. A family and friends support group will also launch in March in either Stamford or Greenwich. The groups are open to the public with no restrictions on place of residence.
Attendees can also enjoy a pizza dinner and are encouraged to bring along friends or family members if that would promote comfort. Those interested can also expect a nonclinical and non-judgmental atmosphere, said Margaret Watt, co-director of The Hub, a Norwalk behavioral health organization organizing Smart Recovery groups across Fairfield County.
Smart Recovery helps group members analyze their thoughts, feelings, behaviors and triggers, said Watt.
“And realize why are you struggling with certain feelings, why are you maybe making choices that are unhealthy, why are you using unhealthy behaviors like alcohol for feeling alone or depressed and what are your alternatives?” she added.
Three years ago, the state Department of Children and Families began providing some monetary assistance to The Hub to launch Smart Recovery groups in Fairfield, Norwalk and Bridgeport. Watt called the program a good investment, one that is low-cost, increasing in demand and led by volunteers with lived experience.
“In general, mental health issues are increasing dramatically in teens and young adults — depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation — all of it,” she said.
“And schools — whether it’s high school level, middle school, college — everyone is struggling with meeting the demand. You don’t want everything to be at the crisis level where everyone needs a therapist, or everyone needs medication, Watt said. “So, I think having group options for people who feel like they’re struggling, and they can go there and learn some skills may actually help prevent some of that.”
Mental illness and addiction don’t discriminate, she said. As she was launching the Smart Recovery groups, she found there was also increased need for an adult support group in the area.
“The calls that we kept getting — and we’re still getting a lot of — are for adults looking for Smart Recovery for themselves,” she said. “So, I think we’ll have some groups for adults in the near future.”
In many of the groups, attendees are experiencing depression, anxiety, anger management issues, addiction to marijuana — and “other behaviors that aren’t positive,” Watt said.
A family member’s experience
Briana Pellicci, co-facilitator, Greenwich Smart Recovery
with drug addiction is one other factor that led Pellicci to be trained as a Smart Recovery co-facilitator.
“I just really liked this training because one of the things is, you never say, ‘I’m an alcoholic or I’m a drug addict,”’ she said.
“You never label (yourself) and I think that’s very important, Pellicci said.
“Once people say a label, that’s kind of what they feel, and they take that label very personal and they feel like that’s the only thing they are — when that’s not true.
“That’s just something you might be going through in the moment ... Your type of personality and your characteristics are who you are,” she said. “I think that’s very important during the teenage” years.
“Looking back, I just wished there was a program where I could have talked to other teens, (so) I knew I wasn’t alone.”