Crying is Good for You by Sharon Martin, LCSW
When is the last time you had a good cry? I cried just last Sunday. And you know what? I felt better afterward.
Crying is good for you. It is a healthy outlet for feelings. But many people resist. Crying in the therapy office is an interesting thing. Some people cry a lot. They see therapy as a safe, appropriate place for this kind of release of feelings. Others continue to resist, even when I reassure them that crying is healthy and normal. Men are notorious for not wanting to cry, but I find women also resist crying.
The common reasons I hear for not wanting to cry are:
- I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop
- It’s embarrassing
- It’s weak
- I’ll feel worse
- I can’t get myself to cry
- I’m angry, not sad
We often give kids messages that crying is wrong. We tell them “crying is for babies” or “don’t cry like a girl”. The truth is that crying is a wonderful way to express feelings. It relieves stress. It doesn’t hurt anyone. Crying allows for both a physical and emotional release of pent up negative feelings. This will help purge negativity and pain and allow space for positive feelings to grow. Don’t wait for a major disappointment or loss, go ahead and have a good cry. Crying on a regular basis is a good way to relieve stress.
I recently contributed to an article on how crying is good for you in the Medical Daily. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read the article here.
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i Cry everyday .. for 8 yrs now .. constantly depressed .. been in and out of therapy for most of my adult life . .i’m 69 now . . how much crying is TOO MUCH ??
That’s all I do is cry…I would for like to be strong and not cry….and yes just say F*** IT but I can’t