Is It Healthy To Cry?

From the moment we take our first breath, human beings are generally primed to cry. Babies may cry to communicate that they’re hungry or need a clean diaper, or that they’re not feeling well. Children and adults often cry when they’re upset or hurt, and sometimes they cry when they’re feeling especially happy or moved. In these cases, crying can be a healthy reaction to emotional events. In fact, your body is made to cry to relieve emotional pain, whether that stress is from sadness, anger, or joy. However, people who are experiencing chronic bouts of crying, where they’re crying nearly every day or even multiple times a day, as well as people who are unable to cry, may have an underlying issue that might need to be explored with a medical professional.

Types of tears

Since ancient times, humans have pondered why people cry and where tears come from. In his book Why Only Humans Weep, author Ad Vingerhoets discusses the theories people in the past used to explain why tears flow. Vingerhoets notes that in ancient Egypt, in the Old Testament, and in the writings of Aristotle, tears were thought to originate from the heart and make their way up to the eyes. Many people associate crying with a byproduct of either the blood or the nervous system, or that they come from the brain. It wasn’t until 1662 that the lacrimal glands were discovered and described by Danish scientist Niels Stensen. (“Lacrimal” comes from the Latin word for “tear.”)

There are three types of tears. Basal tears lubricate the eye and keep it moist. Reflex tears work to help clear the eye of irritants such as smoke or debris; these are the tears we may cry when we’re chopping onions, for example. The third type of tear is the emotional tear, which is shed only in response to strong emotions.

Emotional tears tend to be more viscous and have a different chemical composition from basal and reflex tears. In addition to the chemicals that make up basal and reflex tears, emotional tears can contain hormones such as prolactin and adrenocorticotropic hormone, which are secreted by the pituitary gland. Emotional tears also can contain a chemical called leu-enkephalin, which functions in the body as a natural painkiller. It seems that only humans shed this type of tear; tears in other animals are only produced to keep the eyes moist and free of irritants and debris.

The effects of culture and gender

Attitudes about crying can be colored by the culture a person lives in. What might be an appropriate time or reason to cry in one culture may not be considered appropriate in a different culture. The amount of crying people do can vary from culture to culture as well.

Gender also can affect who cries and for what reason a person might cry. This might have to do in part with differences in biology and hormones, but it’s unclear whether biology or culture is the greater determinant. This is because gendered attitudes toward crying within a particular culture, such as considering crying acceptable for women but not for men, or considering it acceptable for men to cry only under very specific circumstances, can strongly affect whether a person feels comfortable crying or not. Many men consider crying as a sign of weakness, which can be very harmful to male emotional health by suppressing their natural feelings.

The benefits of crying

Although cultural and social beliefs about crying can be factors in a person’s decision to allow themselves to cry, we might also consider some reasons why having the occasional good cry might be beneficial. Crying may be a potent way to heal from the physical and emotional pain that is ailing you. It is important to understand that crying is a natural form of human expression. 

First, crying activates a natural physiological release of emotional stress. When we cry, our bodies may tense up and then relax once the strong emotion has passed and we are done crying. Crying can also release chemicals such as stress hormones and neurotransmitters like oxytocin. These are chemicals that may soothe our bodies, relieve pain, and help keep our bodies balanced. Having a good cry can allow our bodies to manage themselves by triggering the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for calming us down. It can function as a kind of reset button to help us regain our equilibrium, both emotionally and physically. Due to these physiological effects, crying may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stimulate the release of a variety of feel-good chemicals. 

Crying also can have a social component. When we cry in front of someone else, we may show them how we feel in a direct way that they can see and touch. If we are crying tears of distress, this may elicit sympathy and help from the person who is seeing us cry. Tears of joy can work in a similar way, by demonstrating to others how deep our emotion is. Part of the reason why crying can work well to express sadness or other deep emotions is that those emotions may be too complex or too profound for us to communicate them verbally. Regardless of the reason for the tears, crying seems to function in part as a mechanism for strengthening our bonds with other people.

Is it possible to cry too much?

How often someone cries may also be determined in part by their own personal situation. People who are experiencing challenges with their health or their relationships may find that they’re crying more often because they have more emotions to process than usual. People who are grieving may cry more often than they normally would because grief can be a profound emotion that often takes time to work through.

However, crying all the time can signal an underlying mental or physical health condition that needs to be addressed, especially if there doesn’t seem to be any particular reason why the person should feel sad enough to cry at that particular moment. Some people who are living with depression or anxiety may find that they experience excessive crying. In these cases, the crying may be warranted by the situation; being anxious or depressed can be intense emotional experiences that lead to tears.

There are also some neurological conditions that can cause spontaneous crying or laughter that have no apparent relationship to the situation the person finds themselves in when they laugh or cry. People experiencing crying that seems like “too much,” that interferes with their ability to function, or that happens seemingly for no reason are encouraged to seek help from a qualified medical professional.

Being unwilling or unable to cry

Some people choose to hold back their tears rather than allow themselves to cry. This may be for cultural reasons, as discussed above, or it may be for reasons related to a lack of a safe space, their personality, or their mood. One study showed that subjects who typically chose not to cry weren’t necessarily unhealthier than their peers who did cry, but the tearless subjects were generally less socially connected, had less empathy, and had difficulty forming healthy attachments to other people. Other studies, however, have shown that repressing one’s emotions can have serious impacts on physical health.

In some cases, medications may interfere with a person’s ability to cry. Although this is still under investigation, there is some evidence that some SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) medications may inhibit a person’s ability to cry even when crying feels good at a certain moment.

Some health conditions can make it difficult for the body to produce tears. People experiencing menopause or pregnancy may find that their eyes are drier than normal, as may people who are diabetic or have thyroid problems. An immune system disorder called Sjögren’s syndrome affects the body’s ability to produce saliva and tears, leading to symptoms such as dry eyes and dry mouth. One study showed that the physical inability to produce tears could hamper emotional expression in people with Sjögren’s syndrome.

While some people who are depressed may find that they cry more often, other people living with depression may find that they can’t cry because they’re having difficulty feeling and expressing any emotions at all. One potentially severe form of depression is called melancholic depression, a symptom of which can be the inability to feel and express emotion, including an inability to cry.

When to ask for help

It can be healthy to ask for help when we need it, and crying can communicate our need for support. But if you find yourself crying frequently, to the point that it’s interfering with your ability to function, or if you are struggling with expressing your emotions, you may wish to seek help from a qualified professional. Licensed therapists such as those at BetterHelp are available to talk to you online, on the phone, or over text.

One benefit of online therapy is that you may attend your appointments from the comfort of your home or anywhere if you have an internet connection. In some cases, online therapy may be less expensive than traditional in-person sessions. Studies have also shown that online therapy can be just as effective as meeting in person with your therapist.