Dealing with grief after World Cup bombs

It’s exactly one week since the shock bomb blasts hit Kampala city-killing at least 84 people. As the country tries to recover from the events of that day, those who lost relatives and close friends will continue to deal with their grief and trauma at least for a while.

At Mulago Hospital, survivors of the tragedy and family members wept openly while others clung to family members trying to overcome the emotion of the loss of lives.

Some victims, still in critical conditions, are clinging on to dear life in various hospitals. Many of the dead have already been buried but relatives and friends continue to deal with the pain and psychologists say it will take a while for people to brush away such memories from their minds
Such a tragedy, Mr Paul Nyende, a social psychologist at Makerere University’s Institute of Psychology, says presents a severe traumatic experience for people who have seen their friends and loved ones die in horrific circumstances.

“Surviving a bomb blast in which many people have lost their lives can leave you shattered and disoriented,” he said.
Mr Nyende suggests group therapy and counselling for people who go through experiences of seeing their loved ones perish in gruesome situations.
According to Mr Nyende, most of the survivors will live with anger, anxiety, sadness and an element of a survivor’s guilt.

Said the psychologist: “The people who have witnessed the loss of their closest friends will feel a sense of guilt and shame that while they have survived, their friends perished.”

“While it may feel better to pretend that the event left no mark on you, it is best to be honest about your feelings and to allow yourself to acknowledge the sense of loss and uncertainty,” he adds.

He suggests that people who have been affected should try to resume their daily routines as soon as possible. This includes getting proper rest days and having a reasonable bed time.

No days off
He also advises against taking days off from work to stay at home, saying that it can give opportunity for intrusive memories to dominate a persons mind.

But given the tragic nature of this particular incident, the healing process, according to him will pretty much depend on the individual.
“People will usually cope at different periods and it will depend on the type of personality- with those who are extremely anxious in character taking a longer time to cope,’’ Mr Nyende said.