Can crying keep us healthy?

By Carol Forsloff

Remember when your folks used to tell you just to get up and stop crying after you fell and hurt yourself? Know how you feel when you’re all choked up and can’t talk about your feelings because you think people will think you’re silly if you cry? What we apologize for, however, is something that we shouldn’t feel ashamed about. For crying keeps us healthy, and maybe we should know more about it for that reason.

Crying is often recommended by therapists and in self-help articles found in newspapers and magazines.  However, people still apologize for doing it.  But tears have a biological benefit because tension is released when we cry.  Crying also lubricates the eyes. and provides a physical catharsis that allows the body to discharge certain toxins.

Still what we want to know is whether or not crying provides emotional benefit. You can feel relieved and more relaxed after crying. Stress can also play havoc on  health. Stress is released when we cry and therefore crying has a positive effect on our mental and emotional health because it is a natural response in coping with pain and grief. Certain chemicals and hormones that are accumulated during stress create toxins, and it is these toxins that are released when we cry. Crying also releases a chemical called endorphins that make us happy. That’s why we feel better after a good cry.

So the next time you get hurt, don’t apologize for the tears. Go ahead and have a good cry. You’ll keep your stress level down and improve your health if you do.

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