“The soul would have no rainbow had the eyes no tears.” – John Vance Cheney

Why do we feel so much better when we have a good cry? I see it as a safety valve releasing those pent-up emotions such as frustration, illness, death, or hearing and reading about a sad event. Each one of us will cry in a different way for a number of reasons and it is so important that we do.

Tears are a natural response to suffering and also accompany feelings of compassion. Embracing these emotions through compassion allows us to feel empathy, and when we step into the shoes of someone who is suffering, our empathy may release those tears and this is what makes us human. In the world of psychology, tears are seen as painkillers. I like to think of them as painkillers for the troubled soul. 

Tears very often denote a breakthrough where a client has been able to see a pathway through the darkness, and it is moments like these where tears replace words. Crying is not always attributed to sadness and therapists often find themselves crying tears of happiness with their client when a particular milestone has been reached - this serves to strengthen the bond between therapist and client.

The benefit of crying when we experience severe emotional turmoil is brought about by the production in our brains of powerful painkilling chemicals, and our tears are one of the ways these chemicals are distributed, another reason why we often feel better after a good cry.

Crying leads to a sense of calmness, the storm for now is over, and even though it may not solve your problems, it will certainly alleviate the stress which is not only damaging to your health but will make any situation seem much worse than it is.

To me crying holds hands with laughter, is a friend of scowling, enjoys a cup of tea with smiling and is part of a team which makes up our very human expressions.