A national bereavement charity is inviting people in Roscommon who've lost loved ones to suicide to help form a local support group.
Suicide bereavement Charity HUGG helps those who've lost friends, family or partners to suicide, with volunteers themselves understanding loss through their own experiences.
According to the charity, For every 1 person who dies by suicide it is estimated that 135 people are affected by the death.
HUGG is hosting a special event in Roscommon tomorrow aimed at helping those impacted.
Research conducted by the Irish National Suicide Bereavement Survey shows that many people who experience grief after a suicide feel stigma and personal shame, which leads to increased social isolation following the death of their loved one.
The event in the Abbey Hotel in Roscommon takes place tomorrow from 1pm.
Founder and CEO, Fiona Toumey says that the act of helping others deal with loss, can be healing:
'What people don't realise is that not only after a suicide is there grief and trauma and hope eventually, but the healing part comes in giving back and that's what our volunteers do.
Every single person who trains with us as a volunteer and leads a group has been impacted by suicide.
We call this post traumatic growth, that in giving back in helping others through they're own pain, they gain something themselves.
We'd love to set up a support group in Roscommon run by local people for local people.'
