TNP Blog: Teen reflection, cannabis speaker series, community priority planning & more
- Norwalk Partnership
- 53 minutes ago
- 4 min read
"From Struggle to Strength: Holding Onto Progress in a New School Year"
A reflection for Mental Illness Awareness Week by Rylie Peterson, TNP Teens club president at NHS & PTECH:
While the new school year is underway, many of us are still adjusting to new routines and responsibilities—an experience that can bring unexpected challenges. The transition from the calm of summer to the demands of a new academic year isn’t always easy, and for those navigating mental health struggles, it can feel especially heavy.
My own journey with mental health began in middle school, when I first experienced anxiety attacks. At the time, the idea of seeking help felt daunting, and I avoided it. But as the difficulties continued, I realized that I couldn’t manage on my own. By eighth grade, I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression—ironically, the same challenges that initially pushed me away from therapy eventually brought me back. In ninth grade, I began treatment through therapy and medication, and over time, I started to make real progress. Now, as a senior, I don’t attend therapy as frequently—not because everything is perfect, but because I’ve developed tools that help me navigate difficult moments more independently.
When I began writing this, I hadn’t fully grasped the intensity of senior year. Summer often brings a sense of relief—a feeling that things might be different when school starts again. And in the first few weeks, there’s usually a sense of optimism. But as the reality of responsibilities sets in, the pressure can build quickly. For me, this means juggling college applications, demanding classes, heavy workloads, and extracurriculars that consume most of my time.
Within a few weeks, I found myself overwhelmed—facing a wave of depression I hadn’t felt in months. It’s been a difficult reminder that healing isn’t linear. Even after meaningful progress, setbacks can and do happen. But I’ve learned to lean on the coping strategies that continue to support me: taking walks, journaling, listening to music, practicing mindfulness, and reaching out to those I trust. These habits don’t fix everything, but they help me stay grounded.
I may not feel entirely “okay” right now—but I know I’ve come a long way. Progress isn’t always obvious in the moment, but it’s still happening. And that’s worth holding onto. I’ve learned the hard way that you can’t always face these challenges on your own—and I would never wish that struggle on anyone. I strongly encourage everyone to take advantage of the many resources available right in our community. Within the Norwalk schools, there are counselors from the Kids in Crisis TeenTalk program, from Mid-Fairfield Community Care Center, and through the School-Based Health Centers—all free of charge. And beyond school, there’s the 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and the 741741 Crisis Text Line, which are available 24/7. You’re never alone in this—help is here, and it’s okay to reach for it.
Cannabis Speaker Series Starts Monday with Dr. Joe Feuerstein
Join us for the first event in our regional speaker series focused on cannabis & youth, organized by the Mid-Fairfield Youth Cannabis Prevention Project at Positive Directions.
Dr. Feuerstein, the President of the Fairfield County Medical Association, will kick off the series with "The Cannabis Conversation: Balancing Adult Use, Youth Risk, and Family Impact." See you at this important online conversation on Monday, October 20th at 7pm!
Download the flyer for the 5-part speaker series here:
Be part of our Community Priority Planning around Youth Mental Wellbeing!
Calling Norwalk teens, parents, teachers, providers, community & faith leaders, elected officials, and donors!
We are excited to kick off the 1st of a four-part strategic planning process that will build community-wide consensus about youth behavioral health priorities in Norwalk. YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED!
Please join us from 4pm-6pm on November 12th, December 10th, January 14th, and February 11th. (Location TBD.) Dinner will be provided, and conversations will be able to take place in English and Spanish.
At the first meeting, we'll review three sources of recent data: the 2024 Norwalk Youth Survey, the provider gap analysis, and our recent community conversations. We'll identify the large areas that emerge to be focused on. In subsequent meetings we'll dig into strategies and build consensus on our community's priorities, creating a roadmap for future initiatives and funding and identifying low-hanging fruit as well as longer-term goals. Please join us for the full series, as each event will build on the prior meetings.
Download & share flyers in English & Spanish:
Red Ribbon Week event for kids K-3 & parents
The last week of October is Red Ribbon Week--an annual awareness week encouraging parents of young children to start talking early and often about substances. With increasing numbers of poison control calls due to kids ingesting cannabis from edibles, you can't start too early!
Our TNP Teens will be at Norwalk Public Library next Thursday, October 23rd from 5pm to 6pm, facilitating an interactive event for children in grades K-3, where we will also provide parents with handbooks and safe storage items, such as lockbags and liquor stickers.
Download our infographic on how to talk to kids about cannabis:
National Drug TakeBack Day
In recognition of National Drug TakeBack Day, TNP will have a prevention table where we'll be giving parent handbooks, Deterra bags, lockbags, and liquor stickers away on Saturday, October 25th, from 10am-2pm. Please stop by! (We'll be at either the Police Department or the mall... or both!)
Twice a year, Drug TakeBack Day is an opportunity to clean out your medicine cabinet to get rid of unneeded or expired medications. Keeping medications around creates a risk of experimentation and of accidental or purposeful overdose, so we encourage everyone to safely dispose of anything you no longer need--and to keep your medications locked up year-round!
Safe disposal means keeping meds out of our water supply, so remember: No flushing! You can bring your medications to the local dropbox at Norwalk Police Department 24/7/365, and you can also use a Deterra bag (available from TNP and Norwalk Health Department) to safely deactivate your drugs and then drop the bag in the trash.
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