It's okay to shed your tears. In fact, crying is good for you. Dr. William Frey, a highly respected biochemist, led a research team that studied tears for fifteen years. They discovered that trears shed for emotional reasons are made up of different chemicals than tears that are caused by irritants or by peeling onions. The emotional tears contain toxins from the body that onion-generated tears do not contain. They concluded that chemicals that accumulate in the body during the times of stress are removed from the body inside tears of sadness. Not only that, but they contain high quantities of a hormone that is one of the best indicators of stress.
Supressing those tears actually contributes to physical diseases that are aggravated by stress, including high blood pressure, heart problems and peptic ulcers. And did you know that only humans can weep? All animals produce tears to lubricate their eyes, but only people cry because they are upset or sad.
Lauren, who had lost her husband said that during the first few months of her grieving, she would routinely get into her car and go for a “crying ride.” She’d close the windows, drive down the highway and let herself wail, scream, and cry (not to worry, she said; she could always see the road). She told me that the emotional and physical release was palpable, and that she always felt some relief by the time she pulled back into her driveway. After each big cry (on the road or at home), Lauren would tell herself that it was one good cry closer to healing that made her feel like she was making progress.
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