A kid cries his heart out when faced with the usual and trivial tribulations of his childhood. He tries to learn to move on with no angst or depressive emotions to pull him back.
Some of us have this little kid still breathing in us who sobs whenever hit with life, and returns to survive. Such is the magnanimous power of crying; the power to cope and let the stress flow away in the tears.
Often crying is looked upon as a sign of weakness by society, setting up false notions in one’s head about valor.
However, it is more about the process of venting out and shedding tears to avoid turning into a ruthless and unempathetic human being. When you resist crying on being spooked by life’s pitfalls, bit by bit you are consumed on the inside.
After all, the emotions that fail to flow out begin to take horrible shape affecting your long-term mental health which is often referred to as ‘repressive coping’.
There are three types of tears, namely basal, reflex, and emotional. Basal tears are continuously produced in the eyes and are present as a lubricating film in our eyes to protect from outside dirt and debris.
Reflex tears are produced as a result of any irritant such as smoke or micro particles entering the eye. Basal and reflex tears offer protection against infections and are composed of 98 per cent water.
Emotional tears are produced as a result of sadness, even happiness, or other intense emotions.
According to an article published in Harvard Health Publishing, researchers have established that crying releases oxytocin and endogenous opioids, also known as endorphins. These feel-good chemicals help ease both physical and emotional pain.
Crying have also been shown to increase attachment behaviour, encouraging closeness, empathy, and support from friends and family.
Moreover, crying is an intrinsic process that restores the body toward healing and a state of balance by activating the parasympathetic pathways. It goes without denying that people feel better after crying.
They harness a deeper prospect over their emotions, how they are triggered, and how it landed them there, and in situations where they find it easier to navigate through their problems.
Developing restraint to the crying counter sets your ability to express other emotions such as joy, laughter, or love.
You learn to suppress those emotions and eventually, crankiness or regular bashing take upon as a part of one’s personality. Not to mention, such folks are vulnerable and resorts to other harmful methods to cope such as drug addiction or substance abuse.
It’s imperative to realise that we as humans are an intricately woven fabrication of varied emotions and it is pivotal to accept and acknowledge them without any pressures, stigma, or biases to safeguard emotional wellbeing.
Nature has provided crying as a regulatory mechanism to deal with the lows and highs of life. Incorporate it wisely; after all, it is free and worth it.
The writer is a general physician and content creator
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