Claim: Crying releases extra stress hormones, which is why you feel better after doing so.
Is this true or false, and what are the sources for this information?
It’s true.
Crying is believed to reduce stress hormones, which can help relieve sadness, grief, anxiety, and frustration.
According to an article by Research Digest:
Other findings included: more intense (but not longer) crying episodes were associated with more positive mood outcomes, as were crying episodes that followed a feeling of inadequacy and that triggered a positive change in the situation. Also, crying in the company of one other person was associated more often with positive mood change than was crying alone or crying in the company of multiple people. Conflict tears tended not to be associated with a positive mood change, undermining the idea that tears can defuse social tensions.
Dr. Judith Orloff points out, “Try to let go of outmoded, untrue, conceptions about crying. It is good to cry. It is healthy to cry. This helps to emotionally clear sadness and stress. Crying is also essential to resolve grief, when waves of tears periodically come over us after we experience a loss. Tears help us process the loss so we can keep living with open hearts. Otherwise, we are a set up for depression if we suppress these potent feelings.”
So the next time you find yourself holding back your tears, you may want to reconsider and let the tears flow.
Sources
- The Health Benefits of Tears (Judith Orloff, M.D., Psychology Today: July 27, 2010)
- Does crying really make you feel better? (Christian Jarrett, Research Digest: July 11, 2011)
