Holding back tears may not be the best thing to do, and there’s a good reason to cry sometimes.

Crying, is both a human and a universal trait. We may learn a lot about how people feel, manage, and express their emotions through crying since it is visceral, almost impossible to fake, and unlike any other kind of emotional expression. You can cry from the moment you are born until you are an adult.

There is a wide range of proneness to crying among adults, and people cry for different causes and at various frequencies. As an attachment activity, crying is a critical component of attachment orientations. Crying may help alleviate stress and, via psychobiological mechanisms, speed up the physiological and psychological recovery processes following trauma. Also, others may feel compelled to help the one crying if they see that they are in need, which could indirectly impact their own well-being.

As early as the Classical period, people began to recognize the therapeutic benefits of crying. Ancient Greeks and Romans believed our tears drain and cleanse us, much like a purgative. Modern psychological theory agrees, highlighting sobbing to release pent-up emotions and stress.

Because suppressing negative emotions (also known as “repressive coping”) can have negative effects on mental and physical health, crying serves as a healthy outlet for these tough experiences. A weakened immune system, heart disease, high blood pressure, and mental health issues like worry, despair, and stress have all been associated with suppressive coping strategies, according to research. Research also shows that crying enhances attachment behavior, fostering more empathy, support, and intimacy with loved ones. Tears are the salve we crave when we have emotional wounds that need healing.

A Coping Mechanism

The psychological stress theory suggests that self-soothing, including crying, can be viewed as an emotion-focused coping strategy. This strategy, like response-focused emotion regulation, involves actions and thoughts aimed at addressing negative emotions head-on. People may resort to a range of adaptive and maladaptive activities to alleviate intense unpleasant or even pleasant emotions.

How our culture perceives crying is just as important as our own feelings and desires when deciding whether or not to cry. Crying less often, a country’s level of individualism and collectivism, and the degree to which women are empowered would all be good for one’s mood. So, crying, although helpful, could be viewed negatively.

Researchers anticipated a negative correlation between shame, Masculinity/Femininity, and mood swings. 16,800 male and 23,223 female students were surveyed across 30 nations. Their study revealed that Masculinity/femininity, national wealth, shame, and crying frequency were significant predictors of mood change, all in the expected direction.

The findings point to the fact that cultural norms regarding crying and overall emotions of shame regarding crying impact how one feels following an incident of sobbing. But also remember that correlation does not mean causation, only that a statistical relationship appeared, and this may be spurious. Cultural norms change, however, and these changes often come by virtue of individuals pushing the limits of cultural acceptance.

Many people feel pressured to control their emotional reactions because of expectations placed on them by their social environments. This seems difficult on the surface, and research confirms that acting against one’s natural tendency is stressful. Not crying when that would be our initial reaction to a situation, therefore, could be seen as harmful, both psychologically and physically, to us. Are we willing to pay that price or should we be encouraged to cry when we need that emotional outlet?

Research suggests that crying may help preserve biological equilibrium, whether through unconscious modulation of heart rate or intentional self-soothing via deliberate breathing. We know that big boys do cry and it’s normal and healthy for them to do so.

Recent TV ads for programs aimed at helping sick or hungry children worldwide have now incorporated crying adults, both male and female, into their content. When ads utilize these societal changes, it would appear that the times they are a changing (thanks Bob Dylan).