Missing persons' loved ones could have Regina support group
It's a unique kind of pain when someone you love is missing. That's one of the reasons why a woman who helps counsel family members of missing people in Saskatchewan is hoping to start a support group.
Sylvia Keall is a social worker with Greystone Bereavement Centre in Regina. She counsels people in the province who have had a loved one disappear.
Keall says everyone has a different experience, and it's difficult to imagine the unique kind of pain known as 'ambiguous loss'.
"If we have a loved one who dies— many of us have gone through that experience and know how incredibly difficult it is— but think for a moment what that would be like if you did not know where your loved one was," she said.
It has some similarities to dealing with the death of a loved one, according to Keall, but it's a type of pain that's hard to shake due to a lingering uncertainty.
"This is a situation that these people get up to every single day. And because of that, the emotions are constantly up and down and they change, they wax and wane over time," she said. "But nevertheless, at the end of it, they still have that mystery."
It's missing persons week in Saskatchewan, and many agencies such as police services, the ministry of justice, search and rescue groups, and bereavement counsellors are sharing how they work with the causes and effects of missing people.
Keall says she is ready to start up a support group for the families of missing people if there is enough interest. You can contact the Greystone Bereavement Centre if you're interested.
