Crying - what I have discovered about crying, and myself, since losing my son Adam. *I want to put a disclaimer in here before I start, to say that I have always been somewhat of an expert crier, if there is such a thing! Easily drawn to tears, it doesn’t take much… a cute puppy, sad movie, a song … anything really will get me started. But that was nothing to what I have become since losing, and oh so missing, my Adam.
I have learnt that it is possible to type and cry; cook and cry (sorry fam. you probably didn’t want to know that) and even talk and cry at the same time.
Crying in the shower is the best place as you are already wet, and the streak marks are easier to get rid of. Travelling alone in the car with the music on never fails to set me going. I learnt to choose music without lyrics.
I now have lost any embarrassment with crying in public. Cafes, parks, supermarkets, I have cried in them all and more (my Mother would be distraught if she knew!) An inordinate amount of time was spent choosing baked beans one morning, as Rod Stewart came blasting out of the supermarket speakers, transporting me instantly to a teenage Adam, and opening my tear ducts. It had me hastily searching my pockets for tissues. We didn’t even need baked beans!
Apart from leaving you with a runny nose & exhausted, could crying actually be good for you?
Neuroscientist Dr. William H. Frey II, author of Crying: The Mystery of Tears says, “Crying is not only a human response to sorrow and frustration, it’s also a healthy one.”
1. Crying has a Soothing Effect
Crying may have a direct self-soothing effect on people. Crying activates the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) which helps people relax.
2. Helps to Relieve Pain
In addition to being self-soothing, shedding emotional tears releases oxytocin and endorphins. These chemicals make people feel good and may also ease both physical and emotional pain. In this way crying can help reduce pain and promote a sense of wellbeing.
3. Enhances Mood
Crying may help lift people’s spirits and make them feel better. As well as relieving pain, oxytocin and endorphins can help improve the mood. This is why they are called “feel good” chemicals.
4. Tears Remove Toxins from the Body and Helps Relieve Stress
When humans cry in response to stress, their tears contain several stress hormones and other chemicals. Researchers believe that crying could reduce the levels of these chemicals in the body, which could, in turn, reduce stress.
5. Aids Sleep
A small study found that crying can help babies sleep better. Whether crying has the same sleep-enhancing effect on adults is not yet proven. However, it follows that the calming, mood-enhancing and pain-relieving effects of crying above may help a person fall asleep more easily.
Some people view tears as s sign of weakness, I prefer to see them as a sign of our love for those departed. Now, with this evidence that it is the bodies way of healing, it is also a healthy lifestyle choice!
Based on article from Medical News Today