Benedicte runs through the Oslo night. Shouts to people that there is a shooting up near London. That they must turn. At Deli de Luca by the nightclub Elsker, she hides behind the ATM. She is hyperventilating. A woman gives her a glass of water. Holds her hand. Helle, her name is. Helle stays with Benedicte until someone else helps her for an interrogation with a policewoman. They have kept in touch in recent weeks. Helle does not let go. – I wanted to be a kind of support contact, and was concerned that she should get help to talk about this here. She was in the middle of a shooting. You can not process this alone, says Helle. Two people were killed by the shots of accused Zaniar Matapour (43). 21 were injured by bullets, shards of glass and chaos. Even more are left with traumas that can take a long time to process. 200 are followed up after the shooting According to development assistance lawyer Christian Lundin, just under 60 people have status as offended after the shooting in Oslo. He constantly receives inquiries from people who were affected when the shots fell. Social and outpatient emergency services (SAA) have been in contact with 200 people in the wake of the incident. They are also constantly receiving new inquiries from people who are struggling to process what they experienced in Oslo on 25 June. – This is mainly about people who were present at one of the nightclubs during the incident, but also other people who for various reasons have had strong reactions, department director Stine Wågsås in the Health Service informs news. Of those who live in Oslo, 50 people have been referred to crisis teams in their respective districts, and SAA has had follow-up interviews with 65 people. – The follow-up offered depends on the affected person’s exposure in the incident and other vulnerability factors. The most affected are transferred to the crisis team in their district and receive offers of follow-up over a longer period of time, says Wågsås. 50 of the people SAA has been in contact with live outside Oslo. 31 of these are referred to crisis teams where they live. Many people struggle with sleep Aid lawyer Lundin says many of the victims have problems sleeping, and are afraid of loud noises or being alone. He has previously represented over 70 of the victims after the July 22 attack in 2011. – Most receive a good follow-up, but some report that they are a little dissatisfied. Many people struggle a lot, and feel that they would like to receive more follow-up in relation to it. Christian Lundin is an assistance lawyer for 60 victims after the shooting in Oslo. Photo: Elin Martinsen / news – What kind of follow-up should they wish they received? – It is about talk therapy, processing of the psychological traumas. They need professional follow-up to get back to society, quite simply. He points out that the situation is chaotic, and that it can be difficult for the authorities to get an overview of how many were actually affected on 25 June. – At the same time, it is urgent to start following up those who are struggling mentally with this, to help them. Wågsås in the municipality encourages those who do not feel they have received the help they needed, to contact the municipality again. – We have good routines and competent personnel. It is very individual what reactions you have, and how to handle those reactions. – I have missed that someone contacted The support from Helle and others, both close and strangers, has been important in the weeks since Benedicte Stølen saw a man shoot at his friends at the London pub. The help from the public sector has so far not been as important. – I called the helpline twice. But for me, it did not give much. I felt it was a big trauma, I have not had a profit. I have missed that someone got in touch and asked what I need, Benedicte says to news. The National Knowledge Center on Violence and Traumatic Stress (NKVTS) has issued advice after the mass shooting on 25 June. Marianne Skogbrott Birkeland is a psychologist and trauma researcher at the National Knowledge Center on Violence and Traumatic Stress. Photo: National Knowledge Center on Violence and Traumatic Stress For those who experienced the incident up close, the reactions can be many. Mental reactions such as fear and re-experiencing Physical reactions such as headaches, nausea, sleep problems and nightmares. Depression-like ailments Marianne Skogbrott Birkeland is a psychologist and trauma researcher. She advises people to see local crisis teams or their GP for help, as well as spend a lot of time with their loved ones. For those concerned, it is now first and foremost a matter of finding their way back to security. Get back to everyday life as it was before. Then you should do as much as possible as usual. – Get up at the usual time. Eat what you usually do. Do what you would otherwise have planned. Advice for relatives after the mass shooting in Oslo Be present and available Do not be afraid to ask how it goes Offer to do activities together, e.g. go for a walk, watch a movie, listen to music Do not give up even if the person refuses help Source: Marianne Skogbrott Birkeland, psychologist and trauma researcher at NKVTS Although many of those who were present during the mass shooting have had strong reactions now in retrospect, there is hope . According to Birkeland, research shows that not everyone develops long-term ailments. Of those who were at work in the ministries during the terrorist attacks on July 22, 2011, three out of four had no ailments related to post-traumatic stress ten months later.
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The crisis team has been in contact with over 200 people affected after the Oslo shooting – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
