I Can't Stop Crying: Why We Cry and When to Seek Help

Focus on taking slow, deep breaths. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. This may help you relax, which could also stop the flow of tears. HealthConditionsFeaturedBreastCancerIBDMigraineMultipleSclerosis(MS)RheumatoidArthritisType2DiabetesSponsoredTopicsArticlesAcidRefluxADHDAllergiesAlzheimer's&DementiaBipolarDisorderCancerCrohn'sDiseaseChronicPainCold&FluCOPDDepressionFibromyalgiaHeartDiseaseHighCholesterolHIVHypertensionIPFOsteoarthritisPsoriasisSkinDisordersandCareSTDsDiscoverWellnessTopicsNutritionFitnessSexualHealthMen'sHealthWomen'sHealthMentalHealthSleepOriginalSeriesFreshFoodFastDiagnosisDiariesYou’reNotAlonePresentTenseVideoSeriesYouthinFocusCrackingtheSleepCodeNoMoreSilenceFutureofHealthPlanHealthChallengesMindfulEatingSugarSavvyMoveYourBodyGutHealthMoodFoodsAlignYourSpineFindCarePrimaryCareMentalHealthOB-GYNDermatologistsNeurologistsCardiologistsOrthopedistsLifestyleQuizzesWeightManagementAmIDepressed?AQuizforTeensAreYouaWorkaholic?HowWellDoYouSleep?Tools&ResourcesHealthNewsFindaDietFindHealthySnacksDrugsA-ZHealthA-ZConnectFindYourBezzyCommunityBreastCancerInflammatoryBowelDiseasePsoriaticArthritisMigraineMultipleSclerosisPsoriasisFollowusonsocialmediaShopProductsbyConditionInsomniaStressReliefBackPainNeckPainSleepApneaHotSleepersAllergiesPainReliefProductReviewsVitamins&SupplementsSleepMentalHealthNutritionAt-HomeTestingCBDMen’sHealthWomen’sHealthHealthConditionsDiscoverPlanConnectShopSubscribeWhyCan’tIStopCrying?MedicallyreviewedbyTimothyJ.Legg,PhD,PsyD—WrittenbySusanYorkMorris—UpdatedonJune3,2019FrequencyCausesFunctionBenefitsSeekhelpTreatmentOutlookTipsOverviewSomepeoplecrywhilereadingasadbookorwatchingvideosofbabyanimals.Otherscryonlyatfunerals.Andforcertainpeople,themerehintofanythingthatarousesemotionscancausetearstoflow.Ifyou’veeverhadtearswellupinameetingorweptoutloudinamovietheatre,youmayhavewonderedifit’snormal.Istheresuchathingascryingtoooftenortoomuch?Doyoucrytoomuch?Therearenoguidelinesforhowmuchcryingistoomuch.Astudyinthe1980sfoundthatwomencryanaverageof5.3timespermonthandmencryanaverageof1.3timespermonth.Anewerstudyfoundthattheaveragedurationforacryingsessionwaseightminutes.Ifyou’reconcernedthatyou’recryingtoomuch,ifyoucan’tseemtostopcrying,orhavestartedcryingmorethanusual,talktoyourdoctor.Itmaybeasignofdepressionoranothermooddisorder.Whatcausespeopletocrymorefrequently?Therearealotofreasons,besideshavinganimmediateemotionalresponse,whyyoumaycrymorethannormal.Tearfulnessisfrequentlyassociatedwithdepressionandanxiety.Peopleoftenexperiencethetwoconditionsatthesametime.Certainneurologicalconditionscanalsomakeyoucryorlaughuncontrollably.DepressionDepressionisamooddisorderinwhichyouhavepersistentfeelingsofsadnessthatlastmorethanafewweeks.Activitiesyouoncefoundpleasurablemaynolongerinterestyou.Symptomsofdepressionmayinclude:sadnessandgloominessfeelingsofhopelessnessorworthlessnesslowenergydifficultyconcentratingYourcryingmayberelatedtodepressionifyou:cryoversmallthingsorhavetroubleidentifyingwhyyou’recryingcrymuchmorethannormalhavetroublestoppingyourtearsExcessivecryingismorelikelytohappenifyourdepressionismilder.Peoplewithseveredepressionoftenhavetroublecryingorexpressingotheremotions.AnxietyWeallhavetimeswhenwe’renervousandanxious.Withanxietydisorder,though,youexperienceworryandnervousnessmoreoften,maybeevenonadailybasis.Symptomsofteninclude:edginessorirritabilityexcessiveworrymuscletensionfatiguedifficultyfocusingorconcentratingtroublesleepingPseudobulbaraffectSuddenuncontrollablecrying,laughing,orfeelingangercanbeasymptomofaconditioncalledpseudobulbaraffect(PBA).PBAisaninvoluntaryneurologicalstaterelatedtoaninjuryordisturbanceinpartsofyourbrainthatcontrolyouremotions.Sometimescalledemotionalincontinence,theuncontrolledemotionsassociatedwithPBAoftendon’tmatchhowyoufeelorwhatyou’reexperiencing.Becausethesymptomsaresimilar,PBAmaybemisdiagnosedasdepression.PBAoftenoccursinpeoplewhohave:historyofstrokeParkinson’sdiseaseAlzheimer’sdiseasedementiaamyotrophiclateralsclerosis(ALS),alsoknownasLouGehrig’sdiseasemultiplesclerosis(MS)GenderandpersonalityStudiesindicatethat,onaverage,womencrymoreoftenthanmen.Onepossiblereasonforthisisthattestosteronemayinhibitcrying.Culturalnormsmayalsoaccountforsomeofthedifferencesincryingamongmenandwomen.Besidesadifferencebetweensexes,peoplewhoareempatheticandconcernedaboutthewell-beingofothersmaycrymorethanpeoplewhoarelessempathetic.Peoplewhoareanxious,insecure,orobsessive,crymoreandforlongerperiodsoftimethanotherpeople.Whydowecry?Glandslocatedaboveyoureyesproducemostofyourtears.They’recalledlachrymalglands.Thewordlachrymalmeanstear.Everytimeyoublink,tearsflowtoyoureyesfromductsattachedtoyourlachrymalglands.Thiskeepsthesurfaceofyoureyeslubricatedandprotectsthemfromsubstanceslikedust,smoke,oroniongasses.Tearsalsodrainintoyournose.Tearsaremadeupof:watersaltprotectiveantibodiesenzymesThechemistryoftearscausedbyemotion,sometimescalledpsychictears,isdifferentthanthatoftearsthatmoistenandprotectyoureyes.Psychictearscontainmoreoftheprotein-basedhormonesyourbodyproducesunderstress.There’slimitedresearchonthescienceandpsychologyofcrying.Someresearchersbelievecryingisawayyourbodygetsridofstress-relatedhormones.Otherstudiesshowtearsmaytriggerthereleaseofendorphins.Endorphinsarehormonesthatmakeyoufeelgoodandreducepain.Arecentfocusofresearchistheresponsepeoplehavetothechemicalcontentoftears.Studieshaveshown,forexample,thatmenarelessaggressiveandlesssexuallyarousedwhensmellingwomen’spsychictears.Doescryingmakeyoufeelbetter?Cryingdoesn’tnecessarilymakeyoufeelbetter.Inonestudy,onlyabout30percentofparticipantssaidcryingmadetheirmoodimprove.Cryingismorelikelytomakeyoufeelbetterif:youhavetheemotionalsupportofafriendyou’recryingbecauseofapositiveexperienceitenablesyoutounderstandyouremotionsbetterithelpsyouresolveanissueorproblemSeekinghelpIfyouhavesymptomsofdepressionoranxiety,oremotionalresponsesthatdon’tfeelright,don’ttrytotoughitoutalone.Mooddisorderscanhaveanegativeimpactoneverypartofyourlife.Thisincludesyourrelationships,work,orschool.Theyalsomakeyoumorevulnerabletophysicalillnesses.Talkwithyourdoctoraboutwhatyou’reexperiencing.Yourdoctormayreferyoutoapsychiatristortherapistwhospecializesinworkingwithpeoplewhohavemooddisorders.TreatmentApproximately80percentofpeoplewithdepressionimprovesignificantlywithtreatment.Treatmentfordepressionandanxietycanincludepsychotherapy(talktherapy)andmedications.Self-careisimportant,too.Manypeoplefindrelaxationtechniques,meditation,mindfulness,andexercisehelpful.TherapyandmedicationscanalsoalleviatetheeffectsofPBA.SomepeoplewithPBAseeanimprovementaftertakingadrugcalleddextromethorphanhydrobromideandquinidinesulfate(Nuedexta).NuedextawasdevelopedjustforPBA,andit’stheonlydrugthat’sapprovedbytheFoodandDrugAdministration(FDA)totreatthecondition.AntidepressantsmayalsobeprescribedforPBA.However,theFDAhasn’tapprovedtheuseofantidepressantsasaPBAtreatment.Whenadrugisusedtotreataconditionotherthantheonesit’sFDA-approvedfor,thenthat’sconsideredoff-labeldruguse.OutlookSomepeoplecrymorethanothers.Womentendtocrymorethanmen,evenincultureswhereit’sacceptableformalestocry.Cryingmorethanisnormalforyoumaybeasymptomofdepressionoraneurologicaldisorder.Ifyou’reconcernedabouttheamountyou’recrying,talktoyourdoctor.TipsformanagingcryingThere’snothingwrongwithcrying,butifyouwanttotrytomanageyourtears,therearesomethingsyoucantry:Focusontakingslow,deepbreaths.Breatheinthroughyournoseandoutthroughyourmouth.Thismayhelpyourelax,whichcouldalsostoptheflowoftears.Relaxyourfacialmusclessoyourexpressionisneutral.Thinkaboutsomethingrepetitious,likeapoem,asong,ornurseryrhymeyou’vememorized.Takeawalkorfindanotherwaytotemporarilyremoveyourselffromastressfulorupsettingsituation.SuicidepreventionIfyouthinksomeoneisatimmediateriskofself-harmorhurtinganotherperson:•Call911oryourlocalemergencynumber.•Staywiththepersonuntilhelparrives.•Removeanyguns,knives,medications,orotherthingsthatmaycauseharm.•Listen,butdon’tjudge,argue,threaten,oryell.Ifyouorsomeoneyouknowisconsideringsuicide,gethelpfromacrisisorsuicidepreventionhotline.TrytheNationalSuicidePreventionLifelineat800-273-8255.LastmedicallyreviewedonMay30,20189sourcescollapsedHealthlinehasstrictsourcingguidelinesandreliesonpeer-reviewedstudies,academicresearchinstitutions,andmedicalassociations.Weavoidusingtertiaryreferences.Youcanlearnmoreabouthowweensureourcontentisaccurateandcurrentbyreadingoureditorialpolicy.BylsmaLM,etal.(2011).Whenandforwhomdoescryingimprovemood?Adailydiaryof1004cryingepisodes.DOI:10.1016/j.jrp.2011.04.007CollierL.(2014).Whywecry:Newresearchisopeningeyestothepsychologyoftears.apa.org/monitor/2014/02/cry.aspxFischerAH,etal.(2004).Genderandculturedifferencesinemotion.DOI:10.1037/1528-3542.4.1.87GelsteinS,etal.(2011).Humantearscontainachemosignal.DOI:10.1126/science.1198331Gračanin,A,etal.(2014).Iscryingaself-soothingbehavior?DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00502Guidetodepressionandbipolardisorder.(n.d.).dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=education_brochures_depression_bipolar_guideKehindeAJ,etal.(2012).Tearsproduction:Implicationforhealthenhancement.DOI:10.4172/scientificreports.476OhTJ,etal.(2012).Effectsofchemosignalsfromsadtearsandpostprandialplasmaonappetiteandfoodintakeinhumans.DOIdoi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0042352VanHemertDA,etal.(2011).Cultureandcrying:Prevalencesandgenderdifferences.journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1069397111404519FEEDBACK:MedicallyreviewedbyTimothyJ.Legg,PhD,PsyD—WrittenbySusanYorkMorris—UpdatedonJune3,2019ReadthisnextWhatAreTearsMadeOf?17FactsAboutTearsThatMaySurpriseYouMedicallyreviewedbyAnnMarieGriff,O.D.Haveyoueverwonderedwhattearsaremadeof?Theanswermightsurpriseyou.Anddocrocodilescry?We'lltellyousomesurprisingfactsabouttears.READMORE10ReasonsWhyCryingDuringorAfterSexIsCompletelyNormalMedicallyreviewedbyJanetBrito,Ph.D.,LCSW,CSTIfyou’veevercriedafterhavingsex,you’renotaloneandyou’renotweird.Theymightbehappytears,tearsofrelief,orabitofmelancholy…READMORECan’tCry?Here’sWhatMightBeGoingOnMedicallyreviewedbyTimothyJ.Legg,PhD,PsyDHavetroublecryingevenwhenyouwantto?Here'swhyithappensandwhatyoucandoaboutit.READMOREHowaSmartphoneMayHelpYourMemoryNewresearchfindsdigitaldevicesmayactuallyhelpaidourmemory.READMORELiveHealthOnlineR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