What do tears represent

In other words, crying is a self-soothing behavior. Crying puts you in a vulnerable position. From an evolutionary perspective, this would put you at a disadvantage in a fight-or-flight situation. If you see tears as a sign of weakness, as many people do, you might dislike crying because you want to avoid giving an impression of helplessness.

In fact, expressing your weaknesses could generate sympathy from others and promote social bonding. Most people need at least some support and companionship from others, and these bonds become even more important in times of vulnerability.

When you allow others to see your weaknesses, they may respond with kindness, compassion, and other types of emotional support that contribute to meaningful human connection.

Experts believe these happy tears may help you process and regulate intense emotions. Witnessing their pain could make you cry, too. It may not even matter whether that person is real or fictional, according to a small study that explored sympathy crying in response to emotional movies.

People who experience abuse , neglect, or other trauma may struggle to make sense of what happened and cope with the resulting emotional pain and turmoil. These tears may not necessarily be forced, though, as feelings of frustration and helplessness can make most people cry. If you find yourself regularly using tears in lieu of more productive approaches to communication and conflict resolution , a therapist can help you explore potential reasons behind this behavior and find healthier ways to express your needs and feelings.

Not surprisingly, people who live in societies where crying is more accepted may cry more frequently. Men typically cry less than women, perhaps in part because many cultures tend to consider crying a sign of weakness and often discourage boys from crying. Lin, O. Matthew Mak, M. Daniel Pierre, M. Sean M. Platt, MD Llewelyn J. Rao, M. Charles Roseman, O. Jerome P. Schartman, M. Eric Ward, O. Stanley Warn, O. William F. Wiley, M. Cataract self-test. Dry Eye self-test. Three Types of Tears.

What Causes Bloodshot Eyes? In this way, crying can help reduce pain and promote a sense of well-being. As well as relieving pain, oxytocin and endorphins can help improve mood. When humans cry in response to stress, their tears contain a number of stress hormones and other chemicals.

Researchers believe that crying could reduce the levels of these chemicals in the body, which could, in turn, reduce stress. More research is needed into this area, however, to confirm this. A small study in found that crying can help babies sleep better. Whether crying has the same sleep-enhancing effect on adults is yet to be researched. However, it follows that the calming, mood-enhancing, and pain-relieving effects of crying above may help a person fall asleep more easily.

A study found that lysozyme had such powerful antimicrobial properties that it could even help to reduce risks presented by bioterror agents, such as anthrax. Basal tears, which are released every time a person blinks, help to keep the eyes moist and prevent mucous membranes from drying out. As the National Eye Institute explains, the lubricating effect of basal tears helps people to see more clearly.

When the membranes dry out, vision can become blurry. Crying in response to emotions such as sadness, joy, or frustration is normal and has a number of health benefits. However, sometimes frequent crying can be a sign of depression. People may be depressed if their crying:. Benitez-Quiroz, C. Facial color is an efficient mechanism to visually transmit emotion. Carroll, J. Do facial expressions signal specific emotions?

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