The Value of Crying

When was the last time you cried? What made you cry? Did you feel better afterward?

Chances are that you cried in the last 30 days and that you cried because something made you sad. But, we know that sometimes we also cry for happy reasons, like a wedding or a birth.

For the most part, however, crying is seen as evidence that something’s wrong.

In reality, crying is a very helpful process.

Crying is about coping and feeling better afterward. It’s also about removing toxins, reducing blood pressure, and easing stress. There are many emotional and physiological benefits to letting the tears flow.

Let’s check out some of the research.

Emotional Benefits of Crying

• • • Crying can make you feel better.
      Professors at the University of South Florida analyzed anecdotal evidence and found that 2/3 of people who recounted stories of crying, said that they felt better after crying.
    • Builds cohesion within groups.
      Dr. Oren Hasson of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Zoology believes that crying for reasons other than physical pain is a strongly evolved activity that can create cohesion within groups. The “blurred vision” characteristic of crying is not advantageous in a life-or-death situation, but when seen as a signal for help in times of vulnerability is very advantageous.
    • Comforting another can bring benefits to us, too.
      Denise Clegg, Program Officer for the Positive Neuroscience project at the University of Pennsylvania, reports that positive social relationships have been identified as beneficial for physical and mental health. The implication may be that the act of empathizing and comforting a person may be as beneficial as being comforted.
    • Crying can induce bonding and ensure survivability.
      Crying, like other signals, can ensure children get the attention they need from adults, as well as ensure a sense of identification with a peer group, both successful survival strategies.

Physiological Benefits of Crying

Tears are controlled by the autonomic nervous system, a combination of the sympathetic (“fight or flight”), parasympathetic (rest, recuperation, and regulation), and enteric (gut) systems. The tear-producing center, or lacrimal system, is also connected to the hypothalamus, which relates to many emotions.

• • • A bath from the inside out.
      Crying releases hormones like adrenocorticotropic, prolactin, and leuenkephalin as well as other elements like manganese. All these elements are present during times of stress, and crying relieves that overload.
    • Reduce heart disease and other stress-related conditions.
      William H. Frey II, PhD, has been studying the effects of crying for over 15 years at the Alzheimer’s Research Center in Regions Hospital, St. Paul, Minnesota. He believes that the stress-relieving properties of crying can actually reduce the risk of heart disease and other stress-related problems, including certain problems in the brain.He also found that patients who were allowed to cry in therapy reduced their pulse and blood pressure.
    • Tears are mood elevators.
      A good cry can elevate your mood much faster and better than antidepressant medications that are available. One research found that about 90 percent of criers experience elevated moods compared to 8 percent that reported crying made them feel worse.

The next time you’re crying, whether in a movie, in the arms of a lover, or by yourself, listen to your body and notice the release of tension after a good cry.

Generally speaking, you might say that a person who cries is releasing the negative, rather than trying to hold it in. You’re no longer trying to tough it out or put up a brave front. Thus, explaining why most people feel better after crying even if there is no one around to provide comfort.

You’re letting go, and letting go can actually bring relief from whatever’s bothering you.

So next time you feel the tears welling up, let the tears flow knowing that the tears bring physiological and emotions benefits.

• Why Crying is Good for Your Health
• The Art of Comforting
• What Does the Autonomic Nervous System Do?

Much Love,