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DON’T CRY, YOUR mum’s in the room. And me? I was dying inside.
Those are the words of a girl who was told not to cry in front of her mother following the death of her sister.
Anam Cara is today facilitating workshops on grief for professionals who work with young people. The organisation said there are currently no support programmes in place for those aged 15 – 25 when a family member or close friend dies.
Child psychologist and bereavement specialist David Trickey is leading the workshop. He said the death of a family member or friend is “a hugely distressing event for a young person”.
Traumatic events such as the sudden death of a family member can have longstanding consequences for a young person’s mental health and home life so it is vital support is available.
“Considering the other external pressures this age group are experiencing as they transition from childhood to being an adult, being able to access support services to help them understand their grief is important for their wellbeing,” Trickey stated.
PTSD
Trickey will brief those attending the workshop on identifying the symptoms of traumatic grief and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
As a result of a trial workshop earlier in 2015, Jigsaw Galway has developed a one-day support programme for adolescents and young adults. Anam Cara is encouraging other organisations to adopt the programme and make it their own.
Sharon Vard, CEO of Anam Cara, said:
By working together we can ensure a bereaved adolescent or young adult can access the support that will help them draw on the resilience and strength to get them through the sadness and grief.
Anam Cara is a national voluntary support organisation set up by bereaved parents to support newly-bereaved families throughout Ireland. More information on its services can be found here.
Today is National Grieving Day. For more information, click here. People who are grieving and looking for support can find helpful information on bereaved.ie.
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This is so badly needed. I lost one of my best friends to suicide at the age of 20, a few days before her 21st birthday. I had no idea how to deal with it. I ended up binge drinking to cope. That went on for six months or so before I faced up to it. My family and boyfriend at the time didn’t know how to deal with it either. I’m not sure my family even knew there was a problem as I was living away from home.
This was Ireland ten years ago.
Something like this would have certainly helped me and other friends. Even now, we don’t speak about it much. No one dealt with it. I hope people get the support they need now. I hope they don’t go through what we did alone.
Great idea. What service is available for those < 15 ? It took decades for me to receive the right bereavement therapy. My maternal grandmother that I was very close to died suddenly when I was 11.
Ivor Browne has a chapter in his books on trauma. One chapter called "The Frozen Present" ~
http://www.amazon.com/Music-Madness-Ivor-Browne/dp/0955226120
If ALL modern day biomedical mainstream Psychiatrists were trained Psychotherapists, they wouldn't be adding to people's trauma + distress and might in fact be able to help a person in their Recovery and Healing journey. Over prescribing drugs is unhelpful and potentially very harmful.
Great foundation doing great work at the hardest time. Well done.
What an awful thing to say to a kid who has lost their sibling. You would expect them to try and console each other in their tears.
Great to see David Drumm locked up for Christmas wouldn’t happen in Ireland and it’s the only time he will do .
Donal I dont disagree with you however this is the wrong article to post on. Respectfully give it a rest, this is about young people & coping with grief n the work of Anal Cara
What a very unfortunate typo.
Woeful typo that’s made me chuckle . my bad
No doubt a shortfall in bereavement support for Adolescents and young Adults in Ireland. Anam Cara is engaging with key professionals working in the frontline organisations in contact with bereaved young people to see how we can address this challenge in the future.
What about children just coming into the teenage years dealing with a massive loss in there life and have to deal with hormones, teenage peer pressure & starting secondary school. What about those kids… most child services stop at 12. So what about the kids 13-15..
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