When Writing about Trauma

When writing about trauma, one must keep in mind one's audience.  When you're writing for yourself, you can get away with writing up every detail, every moment, every feeling.  It's a memory.  It can all be recorded.  If you want to share that later or not at all, that's fine.  You can even rip it up and throw it away.  For your healing's sake, just get it done.

But when you're writing for other people, keep in mind that people get tired of repetition, tragedy, woe, heartache, tears, etc.  Tears become ridiculous instead of heart-breaking when overdone.  One must write enough that the reader gets the sense of tragedy, both before the loss and after.  It's best if the reader really feels for the victim/survivor.  How much is too much?  

Keep the audience in mind.  to do that, one must get readers.  If those beta readers get tired of it, it's probably too much.  Time to trim and refocus.  What is most critical to write?  Whatever is most needful, that shall you write.