Why a Good Cry Can Help You Stay Sane

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People usually get uncomfortable or immediate react with pity when you tell them that you cried. They think that maybe you’re overly sensitive, or plain weak. They don't know what to do. Of course, they're compelled to comfort you, but are also a bit repelled by the complete uncontrollable flood of emotions that is rolling in waves off of you. Thus, they want to just hand you a towel and not get their own feet wet. I think if I didn't get this reaction all the time, I would be able to not hold in the tears so much until I could find a private place and even then, go under the covers and muffle my sobs.

To me, crying is such a natural bodily ritual that not doing it from time to time actually feels detrimental to my physical and mental well-being. It feels like I'm releasing all the tension, stress, and toxins in my system and purging all the negative buildup accumulated in my body and mind. An analogy would be like retching after eating bad food. Think how uncomfortable and harmful it would be if you resisted that natural urge! Well crying is the same, but because it has a social stimga attached to it (that anyone who cries must not be emotionally stable), it is far less accepted in a public setting and even sometimes makes the individual feel shame to cry in front of himself. This is terrible because crying actually lets you regain control, feel at peace, refreshed, energized, ready to start over after a couple of hiccups and loud sobs. Let me show you.

Yesterday I convulsively cried for 5-7 mins after getting into a very personal argument with my parents that left me extremely hurt and angry. Yet, I almost did it because my body compelled me to. It was like my body telling me, “go retch and feel better” and I did. I cried, loud and hard, letting the waves of emotions crash over my head and fill the room. I wailed with sorry and screamed with rage, almost exaggerating my feelings. I punched my bed repeatedly and threw myself down on the ground. I cried until I released it all. The effects were immediate. After the bodily ritual was over and I was done sobbing and wailing, I recovered so fast. I felt no residual anger at my parents (after all it was a small argument), but I remember the feeling of built up tension in my chest and I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

At college, when you cry people think that you must be depressed or something, but it is natural and it needs to happen. You do not need to comfort me, but just accept it and not judge me. I am not weak nor depressed. In fact, I'm very happy with my life and barely hold any anger for things I felt hurt by. Those emotions are let go, released into the universe which will take care of it, returning only peace and inner happiness back to me. I am more stable than ever and feel like I can face it all...because I know how to fall hard, roll, and get right back up. It’s only something that I need to do. Nothing is wrong. I just need to cry :D

Have you ever felt this way?