Searching for support?
Need help? There's a support group for that. Help for addictions, weight management, parenting, mental illness, autism and many other concerns is available locally.
“Many people suggest a support group, and the person hearing the information is like, 'What does that mean?'” said Lisa Miller, a health educator for Adagio Health. Her focus is prevention within the Butler County Drug and Alcohol Program.
“The goal of a support group should be to help people realize, 'It's not just me that feels that way,'” she said. “Everyone wants to be unique but we all want to fit in, too.”
Gayle Wright, who leads a grief therapy group in Chicora, said participation in a support group reduces the feeling of being overwhelmed by a problem.
“Sometimes you are too close to (the problem),” she said.
Group members can share other points of view.
“You can say things that you wouldn't want to have worry those closest to you,” Wright said.
She is a part-time mental health counselor in psychiatric social work at an area hospital. She also is a service coordinator for Allegheny Hills Retirement Residence in East Brady.
Wright said support groups are often peer driven, but each group is different. A leader may or may not have professional credentials in counseling, psychology or a related field, but regardless of the leader's experience, people should also listen to their own intuition.
“You have to find the person who makes you feel comfortable,” Wright said.
Miller recommended calling the leader before going to a group and asking what to expect.
Questions for the leader could include: How does the group welcome new members? How many are in the group? What happens if there is an acquaintance in the group?
“Asking questions is so important because you don't want to come away saying, 'That was a waste of my time,' and not realizing it wasn't the right fit for you,” Miller said.
Wright said it is OK to try more than one group.
“It would be like buying a new car. You're not going to fall in love with the very first one,” she said. “Make sure that it is a good fit.”
Carol Arthur, a nurse from Butler Township, facilitates Our Place for youths, friends and family members dealing with addiction.
“It's just a group that says, 'You're OK. You're not alone,'” she said. “(It's) a safe place to let your hair down.”
Arthur provides supplies for projects and activities that can ease participants into discussion. Because the group is new and not sponsored by an organization, it is flexible. She plans to invite other professionals to share helpful skills and resources with the group, including CPR and first aid.
Some groups offer help based on specific beliefs.
Rodney Dickman, director of Reformers Unanimous Addiction Program, described its approach.
“It's a Bible study to give people an idea of how Jesus Christ can give them a victory over their addiction,” he said.
Leaders trained by this nationwide program have had a group in Cabot for about eight years. The participants have a variety of addictions.
“God guides them through the Scriptures,” he said.
“It's based on freedom to choose,” Dickman said. “They have to choose that they want to take the route.”
A heroin addiction family support group in Butler has another approach.
“Our group is focused on education. Education is power,” said Linda Franiewski, executive director of the Ellen O'Brien Gaiser Center. The center partners with the Butler YMCA for the group. “It empowers you to be able to better deal with your loved one and yourself.”
Participants learn about addiction, how to get started with treatment, the logistical realities in the process of recovery, and resources at the center.
Franiewski said, “Most people who need it cannot bring themselves to come. They are so overwhelmed with grief and anger.”
Wright said some people avoid support groups from a “fear of the unknown, the same thing as keeps people from doing other things they may want to do.”
Other concerns may be the time commitment, a fee or a fear of being labeled. “That I'm someone who needs a support group or counseling. I cannot stand on my own,” Wright said.
Miller said a group will not solve all of someone's problems and does not mean lifelong friendships with other members.
“It's not always warm and fuzzy. It's not always going to be comfortable,” she said.
“You might have to go through some bumps to get some relief,” she said.
Wright said, “What works for one person may not necessarily work for someone else.”
She said even attending two or three times may be enough.
“You're able to go back to your primary support group which is family and friends,” she said.