The Boo-Hoo You Do

So earlier this evening, I just burst into tears.  There are a lot of things going on in my life right now and I just couldn't take it anymore and I burst into tears.

After I had a good cry, I realized I felt a lot better, if not at a little peace.  It got me to thinking:  Is crying really that therapeutic, or is it just in our heads?

When I want to know something, I go straight to Google.  The info I got below came from http://www.tranquilityisyours.com/cry.html but I've pulled bits from it to put here.

When we are young, most of us are instructed not to cry.   Our parents say to us, "Stop crying!"  If you cry, you are considered weak.  How many people read the first two sentences of my post and said to themselves, "This lady's got problems?"  Well, who doesn't?  Crying differs in many different cultures.  In most western cultures, it's more sociably acceptable for women and children to cry and less socially for men to cry.

The truth is, though, that crying has a very definite purpose.  A study by the University of Minnesota states that chemicals that build up in your body during emotional stress can be removed during your tears, and unreleased stress can increase your risk for heart attack and damage certain areas of your brain.  So your ability to cry is not only therapeutic, but it could even be considered a survival tactic.  Sometimes patients who enter therapy for the first time will begin crying almost the moment they sit down due to releasing the amount of stress they bear; all in front of a complete stranger.

We cry at weddings, graduations, or births.  We even cry when we laugh.  Why would we choke back the tears when we really need to let them out; when we're emotionally stressed, sad, in physical pain, or depressed?  Natural stress relief is really the best of all options.

Personally, I don't think this means you should break down in public whenever you feel like it, nor should you set aside a time a week to cry.  That wouldn't be very productive for your social life, nor would it be very healthy, to time your tears.  But rather, when you find yourself becoming overwhelmed and unable to keep it in, wait until you are alone and let it out.  Don't be afraid to cry.  It's alright.  It's your body releasing stress and going into survival mode.

Going along with a good cry are the annoying side effects, like puffy eyes and runny noses.  After you are done crying, put a cold compress over your eyes or they will be swollen for hours.

A study by the University of South Florid found that almost everyone feels better after a cry, and that personality has a major effect on how often we cry.  An overwhelming majority of participants reported mood improvement after crying.  It helps us clear our minds and once we rid ourselves of those overwhelming emotions, we are able to think better.

BUT, crying may not be how you deal with stress.  However, the latest research seems to suggest that it's highly effective at encouraging the body to heal and it improves the mood of 88.8% of those who cry.  Only 8.4% of the subjects reported feeling worse after weeping.  Some researchers suggest that crying is so beneficial that there may be a case for inducing crying in those who find it difficult to let it go.

Sure, there are other ways of dealing with stress:  exercise, sex, sleep, massages, baths.....but a good cry is definitely a great way to do it.

So don't be afraid to cry whenever things are getting a little much to deal with.  It's not a sign of weakness.  It's actually a sign of survival.  The human body cannot handle everything at once and it's okay to relieve the stress with a good cry.

I know I felt much better after I cried.  And posting this information here helps me a lot too.  I like to think I'm helping you out as well as myself.  We're in this together.

Love,
Charlotte