Western culture has told us all that crying indicates weakness and is only “acceptable” in certain circumstances like funerals. Pregnant women are often excused from excessive no reason at all crying episodes because of hormones. It’s okay for them to cry during songs or commercials or movies, but for the rest of us, we’d better suppress the urge otherwise we could be teased incessantly. Women are often criticized about how easily they resort to tears and men burst a button when they prove they can get through a normally tear-jerking moment without even their chin quivering.
Well, what if crying held the key for relieving stress? What if crying were actually good for our emotional state? What if science could help dispel this commonly held belief that is keeping many of us from expressing our emotions through tears when our body needs to.
Tearing up the Teasers
Contrary to popular culture, crying is extremely beneficial and not a sign of emotional or physical weakness at all. Who says we need to be emotionally strong all the time anyway? None of us are invincible, are we? So what’s wrong with a tear drop or two?
Anyway…
Crying is actually one of nature’s ways of relieving stress. The eyes produce three types of tears: continuous (basal) tears; reflex tears; and emotional tears.
Continuous, or basal tears, are the tears our eyes need to function and stay wet. Reflex tears are similar, but their main purpose is to flush out irritants or objects. Both these kinds of tears contain powerful antibacterial and antiviral enzymes that can kill 90-95% of all bacteria in 5-10 minutes (www.mindbodysanctuary.com).
Emotional tears, however, are the tears that relieve stress. When a person cries in reaction to stress (even laughter) the body actually releases “higher concentrations of proteins, manganese, and the hormone prolactin which is produced during stress-induced danger or arousal” (www.tranquilityisyours.com). They also contain enkephalin, an endorphin and natural painkiller. It is interesting to note that not only are women’s tear ducts larger than men’s, but women also have higher concentrations of prolactin, which is the hormone that generates breast milk – so there is really a physiological reason why women cry more than men.
Studies have also shown that stress hormones such as ACTH (adrenocorticotrophic hormone) are also released by tears and as crying continues the levels of these hormones decrease, which explains why 88.8% of people who weep feel better after they do. Because crying expends a lot of energy, many people feel wiped or drained afterward, but with the right action or inaction, their mood can pick up and the weight of the instigating situation can feel much less.
Tears happen when there is a build up of energy around a certain situation. Sometimes crying is referred to as a dam breaking, which is a very accurate description. As the energy and stress build up, the body needs a way to release it and then the so-called “dam” bursts…at least for some.
Let them Go
Psychologists and psychiatrists worry that the common thinking of suppressing tears as a show of toughness and ability to handle life may actually increase the effects of stress on other parts of the body and, over time, actually inhibit people from feeling these emotions at all.
Sometimes tears are a sign of bigger issues that need to be addressed to get to the root of the stress issue. So long as those issues remain buried, a person’s quality of life, ability to cope with life and ability to form personal relationships with others can be affected.
So regardless of what society has taught us, it’s time to let the tears flow. Tears of joy are allowed. Tears of laughter are allowed. Tears of sorrow and heartbreak are allowed. And tears for any reason should be encouraged – not jeered at. If our bodies didn’t need to cry we wouldn’t have the innate capacity to do it. Obviously the function is there for a reason.
It’s okay to cry.
Sources: The Franklin Institute (http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/relieve.html#relieveother); Tranquility is Yours (http://www.tranquilityisyours.com/cry.html); www.fitsugar.com; mindbodysanctuary.com (http://mindbodysanctuary.com/index.php/article/crying_a_healthy_release/47257)