Crying Easily Isn’t Weak: There Are Numerous Benefits for the Body

A tendency for people to cry easily is still regarded as a weakness, a fragile psyche, or emotionally unstable. As a result, those who cry frequently feel ashamed and hide the habit for fear of being labelled negatively. In fact, it is not uncommon for them to blame themselves for being ‘too emotional’ because they cry easily. According to Christina Pierpaoli Parker, PhD, a psychologist who also serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurobiology at the Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham in Alabama, United States, biased views on crying actually stem from societal norms rather than a fault in the individual. Crying is indeed normal. But what if someone cries frequently? Clinical psychologist and associate professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US, Lauren Bylsma, PhD, has studied the neurobiology behind tears. She notes that the main utility of crying is to help humans process and express very strong feelings. Tears shed as a result of emotional overflow are experienced exclusively by the human species, said Grace Tworek, PsyD, a clinical health psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic. ‘We do not see this behaviour in other living beings. So expressing our emotions in this way is truly part of what makes humans unique,’ she said. Most people instinctively recognise the relieving effect after sobbing, and experts confirm the psychological benefits of this phenomenon. ‘Crying, especially when alone, can function as a form of self-therapy. It really compels you to think about whatever you are crying about and to process it, and that can make you feel better,’ Parker explained. Moreover, healthy crying helps the body adapt. When intense feelings, whether positive or negative, flood a person, it triggers stress. ‘Tears relieve the psychological pressure that accumulates in our sympathetic nervous system,’ Parker said. ‘Research shows that, just before you cry, the fight-or-flight response of the nervous system reaches its peak,’ added Bylsma.