Deception and fear in politically oppressive contexts: its trickle-down effect on families

Abstract

The mystified reality, restricted options and inherent risks of living in countries under a repressive political regime translate into survival tactics that reduce the reliance on social support, into semantic and cognitive restrictions and alternative codes, and into silences that translate into symptoms. While this is the case for the average citizen, it is even more pronounced in individuals and families directly touched by the repressive apparatus. These processes are discussed and two clinical examples are provided to illustrate them.