It is hoped that a support group for adults who have been bereaved by suicide could come to Tipperary.
HUGG stands for Healing Untold Greif Groups and they are a peer support organisation which provides a safe, confidential environment in which those bereaved by suicide can share their experiences and gain support from each other.
At present there is no group in Tipperary, however, a number of people travel to HUGG Waterford to avail of the service.
Phyllis Conway is a facilitator there, getting involved after she lost her 21 year old son Sean Conway to suicide in 2017.
Phyllis told Tipp FM what it was like in the immediate aftermath of Sean’s death before she found HUGG.
“you have to do the practicalities and of course people come and that’s the way it is, and then there are other people who don’t come and they avoid you and that is so so uncomfortable. It is lovely when people acknowledge Sean, even now its lovely that he is not forgotten.”
She said they are always looking for volunteers with lived experience, and support those who take on this role :
“The minimum requirement is that you need to be bereaved for at least three years and you need to be in a reasonably steady place yourself because first and foremost I need to look after myself, all the facilitators, and we are very well supported, we have supervision but if I don’t look after myself I can’t help to support anyone else and that’s how it works – we care for the carers.”
