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Should I explain the trauma I experienced to my children, or should I hide it?

Mar Álvarez
Mar Álvarez Segura
TEVI (domestic violence witness) Psychiatrist at the Youth and Infant Mental Health Centre in Cornella
Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona

Neither one nor the other. These are two possible communication patterns following trauma: either intensive, unfiltered communication about the traumatic experiences, or a conspiracy of silence, where communication about what happened is inhibited. Both communication styles negatively impact children's mental health.

Rather, we speak of moderate disclosure , which consists of adapting the communication we choose to share to the child's development and needs (not our own). This must always be for the benefit of the children and not to make them complicit or demand that they understand us.

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Mar Álvarez
Mar Álvarez Segura
TEVI (domestic violence witness) Psychiatrist at the Youth and Infant Mental Health Centre in Cornella
Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona
Alicia Álvarez García
Dr. Alicia Álvarez García
Clinical and Research Director of the Trauma, Crisis and Conflict Unit of Barcelona (UTCCB)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona