What is the science of crying?
All mammals have tear ducts and do tear, but only humans use it to communicate distress. Humans use tearing to serve a purpose. When highly upset, the sympathetic side of the nervous system is alerted. While it is difficult to study crying because it demands an emotional breaking point that is tough to replicate in the lab, there have been studies that indicate crying and the release of tears is a way to bring the nervous system back to a normal equilibrium of sorts. If someone continues to cry and be in emotional distress for a long period of time, the stress could cause physical consequences like a stroke or heart attack. Hence crying may be the body’s way of calming itself down (part of the parasympathetic nervous system) and returning to a normal state.
What purpose does crying serve?
As humans have evolved, you might think the ability to tear would have disappeared but that is not the case. Even though tears well up in your eyes and inhibit your vision, they still serve the purpose of eliciting sympathy. Humans’ ability to ban together and help each other distinguishes them from other mammals. Crying communicates deep feeling which allows others to bond with you more intensely and hence are a very important and nuanced form of communication.
Certainly real tears demand more attention than crying without tears. Mothers today still find themselves checking for real tears on the faces of upset toddlers, for example. Crying with tears cannot be faked. To really fake tears is difficult. Muscles associated with crying are nearly impossible to control — for example lump in the throat and chin quivering. Tearing serves as a communication skill.
Why do some people cry more than others?
There are differences in criers: Some people have lower a threshold for being sad or upset. It depends on how deeply the emotion affects you. Where your breaking point is depends on your emotional and physical capabilities. By attending psychological therapy, you can learn more about why you can handle certain situations and not others.
Prolactin and estrogen are both hormones found only in women that contribute to crying. This can help to explain why studies reveal that, on average, men cry once a month and on average, women cry five times a month.
Men respond differently to women crying. Often they feel they just can’t take it. Women misinterpret this as a reaction that means “I gotta get out of here,” The guy is so overwhelmed by crying that he doesn’t know what to do. How to handle this situation? When you are not emotional, tell your guy that he doesn’t have to figure out a way to save the world just because you’re crying. Explain that he doesn’t have to feel the need to “fix it.” He just needs to acknowledge you’re upset.
Women sometimes see men as emasculated if they cry. Women might not respond well to men crying. Women should be try to be more empathic. If your guy cries, he is sensitive and willing to share his vulnerability with you.
Being aware of your emotional state is good for you. Those who repress their emotional state and their emotions creates greater problems. You are inhibiting emotion. It is good to let it out if you’re keeping it in. To feel better understood, you need to communicate this.
