GROUPS OFFER HELP TO EMOTIONALLY SCARRED
Groups offer help to emotionally scarred
By Tim Brannigan
THE Omagh bomb will leave many people with deep emotional wounds that will be every bit as severe as the physical wounds that many
survivors will have to endure.
Several organisations have now put their specialised counselling services into effect in order to deal with the needs of survivors, relatives and friends.
The first point of contact for many of the victims will be the counselling services provided by the health trusts in which the victims live.
A spokesman for the Tyrone County Hospital said counsellors have been in the leisure centre since Saturday talking to any of the relatives who have had to experience the heartache of identifying loved ones.
She also said that occupational therapists have been talking to the staff at the hospital who worked through the immediate aftermath of the bomb.
"The hospital staff and indeed the counsellors themselves can all avail of the counselling service if they wish. The service is open to everyone."
This operation is scaling down and counsellors expect that the bulk of their work will begin after the funerals.
For many though the shock and numbness that they experienced in the immediate aftermath of the bombing will take some time to clear and it is then that the need for counselling will become more acute.
One group which specialises in such counselling is Wave which was set up by women in north Belfast in 1991 to help widows of violence deal with their grief.
It has now broadened its remit to help all victims of violence and its principle aim is to "offer care and support to anyone bereaved or traumatised through the violence irrespective of religious, political or cultural belief".
Sandra Peake who is a coordinator for Wave said that they offered a variety of services: "Our befriending/visiting service throughout Northern Ireland is available to everyone who has been affected.
Our staff have gone up to Omagh and they'll be up there for a few days."
All of those who provide the befriending service have been closely affected by the troubles in some way, most have experienced bereavement.
"All of the befrienders will have undergone training in order to take up that work and this is our most used service because it's actually the way in which many people find a great deal of comfort in talking to others who have shared similar experiences," she said.
Other important services that Wave provides include one-to-one counselling and a specialised youth service for young people whose needs can often be overlooked.
Another organisation that victims can turn to is Cruise which offers similar support but differs in that it offers services to all people suffering bereavement and not just those who have been the victims of the troubles.
Elizabeth Pearce of Cruise said: "What we often find is that those who suffered bereavement a long time ago need to come back to talk again because events like the Omagh bombing re-open old wounds."
Cruise also offers practical support services for victims seeking compensation or help from the social services with benefits and so on.
The Samaritans are also available for anyone who needs to talk either face to face or on the phone. Their branch numbers are listed in the phone book.
Contact numbers are:
Wave 01232 779922.
Cruise 434600.
Tyrone County Hospital 01662 245211.
By Tim Brannigan
THE Omagh bomb will leave many people with deep emotional wounds that will be every bit as severe as the physical wounds that many
survivors will have to endure.
Several organisations have now put their specialised counselling services into effect in order to deal with the needs of survivors, relatives and friends.
The first point of contact for many of the victims will be the counselling services provided by the health trusts in which the victims live.
A spokesman for the Tyrone County Hospital said counsellors have been in the leisure centre since Saturday talking to any of the relatives who have had to experience the heartache of identifying loved ones.
She also said that occupational therapists have been talking to the staff at the hospital who worked through the immediate aftermath of the bomb.
"The hospital staff and indeed the counsellors themselves can all avail of the counselling service if they wish. The service is open to everyone."
This operation is scaling down and counsellors expect that the bulk of their work will begin after the funerals.
For many though the shock and numbness that they experienced in the immediate aftermath of the bombing will take some time to clear and it is then that the need for counselling will become more acute.
One group which specialises in such counselling is Wave which was set up by women in north Belfast in 1991 to help widows of violence deal with their grief.
It has now broadened its remit to help all victims of violence and its principle aim is to "offer care and support to anyone bereaved or traumatised through the violence irrespective of religious, political or cultural belief".
Sandra Peake who is a coordinator for Wave said that they offered a variety of services: "Our befriending/visiting service throughout Northern Ireland is available to everyone who has been affected.
Our staff have gone up to Omagh and they'll be up there for a few days."
All of those who provide the befriending service have been closely affected by the troubles in some way, most have experienced bereavement.
"All of the befrienders will have undergone training in order to take up that work and this is our most used service because it's actually the way in which many people find a great deal of comfort in talking to others who have shared similar experiences," she said.
Other important services that Wave provides include one-to-one counselling and a specialised youth service for young people whose needs can often be overlooked.
Another organisation that victims can turn to is Cruise which offers similar support but differs in that it offers services to all people suffering bereavement and not just those who have been the victims of the troubles.
Elizabeth Pearce of Cruise said: "What we often find is that those who suffered bereavement a long time ago need to come back to talk again because events like the Omagh bombing re-open old wounds."
Cruise also offers practical support services for victims seeking compensation or help from the social services with benefits and so on.
The Samaritans are also available for anyone who needs to talk either face to face or on the phone. Their branch numbers are listed in the phone book.
Contact numbers are:
Wave 01232 779922.
Cruise 434600.
Tyrone County Hospital 01662 245211.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0686
Published Date: 18-Aug-98
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