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Dallas Whole Life Counseling

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Does a Good Cry Really Help?

January 19, 2017 by Ruth Okeefe

by James Robbins, M.A., LPC

Does a Good Cry Really Help

Crying is good for you–just not for your sex drive. Crying is a form of self-medicating. Not chopping-an-onion crying, but emotional crying. It seems to provide two main benefits.

Stress relief.

When you cry emotionally, you are detoxing. Your tears contain ACTH, a chemical that becomes cortisol. Cortisol is the “fight or flight” stress hormone. It raises blood pressure, increases heart rate–the kinds of things that come in handy when being chased by a tiger. When you cry, you shed excess ACTH, helping you maintain emotional balance when feeling overwhelmed.

Well-being.

Whereas crying decreases cortisol, it increase prolactin. This chemical provides a sense of well-being and empathy. If others are around when you cry, you may feel closer to them afterward, more securely bonded. Also produced post-orgasm, prolactin decreases sex drive and makes you feel sleepy.

Although crying has benefits, it can also be a sign of depression. If you tear up easily these days, or if relatively minor setbacks seem devastating, talk to a therapist. Take this depression self-evaluation.

 

 

James Robbin | Dallas Whole LifeAbout the Author: James Robbins is a licensed professional counselor, published author and co-owner of Dallas Whole Life Counseling. He has over 15 years of experience helping people in various life stages that come from a wide variety of cultural, economic and family backgrounds. Learn more about his background by clicking here.

Filed Under: About Us, Articles, Blog, Education, Inspiration, Newsletter Tagged With: ACTH, corisol, cry, crying, depression, emotional, empathy, James Robbins, prolactin, sadness

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