Zoosk Dating Community

[Juliet the Moderator]

The next time you find yourself heartsick and glum, please do yourself a favor and have a good cry. Your friends might tell you that he or she isn't worth wasting tears over, but you'd probably yourself more harm to keep the tears in rather than just to let them out.

Crying may indicate, on the emotional level, that something is wrong. But did you know that the act of crying can actually be good for both your physical and emotional health? Conventional wisdom has stated for years that crying can be good for you, and recently, scientific research has also come to support that claim.

Human beings are the only living creatures who actually weep. While weeping is uncommon among the living species, the act of shedding tears is universal when it comes to the human experience. No person on Earth has not, at some point in their lives, cried. Babies are born crying and, from the time we're born, we cry throughout our lives for a variety of reasons. We often find ourselves crying because of grief, pain, loss, stress. We cry at movies when something sad or sentimental happens on the big screen. Songs, books, and even newspaper articles can make people cry. That we can cry at not only our own sorrows but the sorrows of other people as well shows something quite amazing about the human ability to empathize and feel for our fellow creatures.

While tears are often associated with a feeling of sadness, we also cry out of happiness, pride, relief, and elation too. Looking back at some of the happiest and proudest moments of your life, did you feel your eyes dampen with emotion and that tight constricted feeling in your chest that indicates a wave of tears? I have definitely cried out of happiness, and it felt wonderful. In our lives there aren't many things that happen that make us so joyous that we cry, so those moments and those tears seem extra special.

These aforementioned examples show how crying is emotionally good for you. Tears are a good indicator that your emotions are working and that you even have emotions in the first place. So how, you might wonder, is crying so good for our physical health as well?

Crying is scientifically proven to be good for your body because it releases stress hormones from the bloodstream. Prior to crying, your body's levels of stress hormones is at a peak. We often cry because our bodies can't physically handle all those stress hormones pumping through its system.

This is why we usually feel a pervasive sense of relief -- what they call the calm after the storm -- after a bout of tears. Compared to the heightened emotions that lead to tears, that relief feels soothing and wonderful. There is a scientific explanation for this. When we cry, we actually release stress hormones. Those hormones are regarded as toxic and bad for the body -- high numbers of them can even cause brain and cellular damage -- and when we cry, our tears contain large amounts of those hormones. In effect, we're washing those hormones out of our bodies via our tear ducts. As more and more stress hormones get released, the calmer we feel: hence, that wonderful feeling of quietude one experiences after a good long cry.

I think we should promote a National Crying Awareness Day! With all the tax payer dollars spent on public health issues, particularly because of the high incidence of heart disease and high blood pressure (that scientists and doctors know are aggravated by things like stress and distress), don't you think that a National Crying Awareness Day might be good for not just our bodies and our souls, but also society as a whole? Rather than telling yourself to keep a stiff upper lip, let yourself release the toxic and negative stress from your body and your mind with a nice cry next time. I know I will!

[reana09]

It's so true, crying is good for your body. Its kind of hard to not cry at times, especially the way life is for people. Also, not talking scientifically, holding in tears can also mean your holding in stress, grief, pain, and loss, which is not good. I think it can turn somebody into being one that holds grudges or something. Now that is when it's not good for your body if you hold on to bitterness or sadness from the past. I think crying is a way to flush out what is irritating you mentally and physically. Crying should come natural at certain times in life you know? I say do not hold it in if you feel you may be seen as weak, failing at something, or a coward idk...its a release!!!

I'm not saying this to indicate that I cry alot but I do agree with what you posted, and see crying as a way to be released and finished from everyday life.

[Sara Michele]

That's awesome. D'accord!

[Louie]

I cry sometimes, not all the times....it's because I have or had too much going on in my life to even think about crying...I have to be strong for my son. I have to be strong to keep moving to keep going forward. I have no time to cry. When I break I really breakdown and that's not healthy for me or my son. It is in the late hours of the night when and if I cry...then I pick myself up and keep going...

[happyapple]

[color=#BF4080]Juliet I am crying because I can't seem to navigate the Zoosk dating website, can you please show me where I might look for some pointers. I am sure that there was a tutorial when I came through the virtual door...but alas, I was too excited about the possibility of meeting someone great here on Zoosk...Thank you
happyapple [/colo

[Latin]

Don't just cry. It's a temporarily alievement and a short term gain.

Rather, know why you are crying. It is NOT because this particular person is gone. Really ask yourself the tough questions. What was it about this person that you will miss? Then you'll cry. But it'll be a good cry. You recover much faster this way than just wasting tears over emotional anguish.

This is my method. It worked for me.

[lala_girl]

I cant stop crying over the guy i dumped for some one eles but i had to i never like a guy as much as him and its driving me crazy cuz i still want him but our relasonship whent to hell and now im cheating on the guy that im dating with my ex and i just cant stop crying and i dont know what to do any more so is my crying any good for me or is it just bad crying

[joyce]

This is the truth, I rarely cry. Maybe the outside world made me to be this way. I don't like showing emotions or people might used it against me. I know, we should burst some emotion sometimes. And I do. But not in front of many crowd. I cried under the pouring rain. I cried when I'm taking a bath. I cried when I'm laying in bed. Those are the moments that made me aware of my mortality. Like, I can't rule the world, there's a greater power behind all these things and so, I need to just look up sometimes, and burst my feelings. After all, I'm still human, entitled to show emotions.

[seyman]

This is the truth, I rarely cry. Maybe the outside world made me to be this way. I don't like showing emotions or people might used it against me. I know, we should burst some emotion sometimes. And I do. But not in front of many crowd. I cried under the pouring rain. I cried when I'm taking a bath. I cried when I'm laying in bed. Those are the moments that made me aware of my mortality. Like, I can't rule the world, there's a greater power behind all these things and so, I need to just look up sometimes, and burst my feelings. After all, I'm still human, entitled to show emotions

[snugglebunny]

ok. I did that. But why keep on crying? If the guy loved me, he wouldnt have acted like he did or let me go. And he wouldnt be without me now if he loved me. Not if it was real. so I refuse to cry anymore. If he's dumb enough to loose me knowing what I feel for him and felt and still let me go. He never loved me at all. Why cry over someone who just wants to play games and pretend they care when if they did they'd be here now, saying please lets work it out. and he wouldnt be talking to other women either if he missed me. which he probably is. Which proves its all a game to him. SORRY .Im way to grown up to play that stupid game anymore. I want a REAL man who wont run from problems or blame someone else all the time for the problems. It's really sad because his "friends" call him a f-up because he refuses to do right. At a ripe 50 he still hasnt figured out its HIM whos messed up his life because he wont accept responsibility or make a commitment. and stick to it. so no more tears here...why cry over someone who cares so MUCH that they dissapear? and blame me..... bull hocky. matter of fact, Im getting off this now bcause I am tired of sitting here alone. why should I ? He's gone because he didnt want to be here. HIS bad. life goes on. Im going out to shoot some pool and get on with my life.