Do you cry easily when you’re reading a book or watching a movie? Do your tears flow whenever your emotions start ringing? You might not know this but there are a few reasons why you cry easily.
When Your Heart Rains
It starts with a choking feeling. Your heart feels heavier as your lips begin to tremble. You can feel the wetness in your eyes so you start blinking faster trying to prevent it. As you feel the tears forming up in your eyes and desperately wanting to escape, you give in and let it all out. You let your emotions take over you and you end up crying uncontrollably once again. That’s one of the reasons behind the question of why do you cry easily? Tears catch you when you least expect it, at times and places you don’t want to let your emotions loose.
If you let your heart rule your mind, then you will probably find yourself weeping and shedding tears a lot more than others. But that’s okay. It’s normal for us to cry when we feel overwhelmed, upset or depressed. Crying uncontrollably is not a sign of emotional or psychological weakness.
Crying is a natural response to different emotions from sadness to happiness. You may cry because you are upset about something. While someone else may cry due to loneliness, another person may shed tears of joy. But there’s no doubt that crying can help you feel better mentally and emotionally as it releases the chemicals stored in the body due to depression, anxiety, and stress.
Read: Does Crying Make you Feel Better?
Tears Speak A Universal Language
Crying is a means of communication that speaks about our innermost feelings and emotions. Whether you are just teary-eyed or end up crying for no reason for hours, it can happen at any time and for any reason. And sometimes, we find ourselves weeping a lot more than we’d like to without any meaningful reason.
At times, we may not know why we can’t stop crying uncontrollably. However, when you take a pause and become aware of your tears and how much you have cried recently, it may help you understand what you are actually feeling inside, how sad and upset you may be and why do you cry easily?
However, if you ask yourself the question why do you cry for no reason, then check out these most probable reasons for the mystery of why do some people cry so easily?
Why Do You Cry Easily: 9 Reasons
If you do cry easily, then these are a few reasons that might be responsible for your tears.
1. It’s Biology
Although crying is natural in all human beings, gender does play a part. If you are a woman, then you may find yourself crying more than the opposite gender. Why? Biologically, women are wired to cry a lot more than men. Women tend to have higher levels of the reproductive hormone prolactin which makes them shed tears frequently, while the hormone testosterone prevents men from crying.
According to studies by William H. Frey, Ph.D. in the 1980s, and Lauren Bylsma, Ph.D. in 2011, women tend to cry about 5.3 times every month, whereas men cry around 1.3 times during the same period. so the next time you ask yourself why am I so sensitive and cry easily, then it’s probably your hormones.
Read: Only Real Men Cry: Men Who Cry Are Not Weak, They Are Stronger
2. Emotional Stability
Perhaps, this is the real reason why some people cry so easily. Your personality, traits, and emotional sensitivity may also settle the question of why do you cry easily? If you tend to be a sensitive person, then you may find yourself crying a lot more than others.
If you are an empath or an emotional or a highly sensitive person (HSP), then you are more likely to be emotionally sensitive. Moreover, HSPs are more aware and connected with their environment which makes them highly emotionally responsive. This may be another good reason why you may find yourself crying more than you want to.
3. A Culture Of Expression
So what causes a person to cry easily? Maybe it’s the culture we are raised in. A study covering 37 countries found that people from “more affluent, democratic, extraverted, and individualistic countries” usually cry a lot more. People from countries like the United States, Sweden, and Chile with better social resources and higher levels of freedom of expression are more open to crying. The research also revealed that the gender gap in proneness to crying was larger in “wealthier, more democratic, and feminine countries.”
Do you cry easily? Lead researcher Dianne Van Hemert, Ph.D., might have the answer why. She believes that individuals from more democratic and affluent nations cry more as their culture allows it. However, individuals from poorer nations might hold on to their tears as their culture doesn’t permit emotional expression, even though they might have more reasons to cry.
Read: 6 Reasons Why People Who Cry Are Actually Much Stronger and Healthier Than Those Who Don’t
4. Unhealthy Attachment Styles
Your tendency to cry more may also depend on your attachment style as well. According to a study, there is a connection between adult crying and attachment style. People who cry easily are generally individuals with a preoccupied attachment style.
Moreover, Judith Kay Nelson, Ph.D., author, and psychotherapist revealed in her book “Seeing Through Tears: Crying and Attachment” that people with insecure attachment styles tend to cry badly and improperly, whereas people with secure attachment styles express their emotions comfortably and cry in a relatively healthier manner.
5. An Evolutionary Strategy
So what does crying easily mean? Facilitating bonds and relationships by lowering defenses and aggression is one of the most unique reasons why you cry so easily.
A 2009 study by Dr. Oren Hasson, Department of Zoology at Tel Aviv University, indicates that emotional tears serve as a biological signal. His analysis found that crying can be an evolutionary tool to keep you safe and reduce animosity. The analysis reveals that tears blur vision and “handicap aggressive or defensive actions, and may function as reliable signals of appeasement, need or attachment.”
Crying is a sign of vulnerability. This is a biological strategy to bring others emotionally closer to you. In an interview, Dr. Hasson said that with the help of tears “you can show that you are submissive to an attacker, and therefore potentially elicit mercy from an enemy, or you could attract sympathy from others, and perhaps gain their strategic assistance.” His evaluation indicates that tears tend to operate as signals of submission by easing defenses and blurring vision.
Read: 5 Reasons Why It Is Okay To Cry – Backed By Science
6. The Pseudobulbar Affect
One of the other most common reasons why you cry so easily is the condition known as pseudobulbar affect (PBA), which is caused by a brain injury or a neurological disorder. PBA primarily involves sudden episodes of inappropriate and uncontrollable crying or laughter. As this condition usually occurs due to brain injuries or specific neurological conditions, it impacts how our emotions are processed by the brain.
Although you will experience the range of human emotions normally most of the time, you will express your feelings inappropriately at times. However, your exaggerated emotional expressions might not best reflect exactly what you’re experiencing or feeling at the moment. Sudden bouts of excessive crying due to PBA, also known as emotional incontinence, can significantly affect your daily life in an adverse way.
7. Depression
Do you cry easily? Depression might be the reason. Depression is a mood disorder that can have a serious effect on our psychological and emotional health. So if you find yourself sad and upset all the time and you keep crying constantly, then most likely you’re depressed. When you are depressed, you may cry over the smallest issues and have difficulty controlling your emotions.
In fact, a 2002 study found that clinical depression can dysregulate the expression of emotions. According to the research, “the presence or absence of a tearful response to a sad film had relatively little impact on depressed participants’ report of sadness, displays of sadness, or their levels of sympathetic arousal.” Depression may actually dull the response to crying. The study concluded, “Those individuals who had been depressed the longest were the least likely to cry.”
If you feel you have symptoms that may indicate depression, talk to your doctor immediately.
Read: Ways To Fight Depression: 4 Sure-Fire Things You Can Do Right Now
8. Chronic Stress
Why do you cry easily? The reason may be stress. Stress can take its toll on your emotions and wreak havoc. When you experience a lot of stress for a long period of time, it can cause significant damage to your psyche. Your tolerance level for dealing with additional stress reduces dramatically and you eventually break down. You will feel overwhelmed with life and overreact to even the smallest challenges.
When you cry so easily, you may feel intense anger, severe anxiety & depression, and feel discouraged. You may end up crying for no reason even at the drop of a hat. As your mind feels under constant attack, crying will seem like the only thing you can do to feel some relief.
Take a break from life. Go for a short vacation. Try not to take everything too seriously and slowly rebuild your resilience one day at a time. If needed, make sure you reach out and seek professional help.
9. Eye Irritation
Although it might not be the same as crying, if you are teary-eyed most of the time then it can be a result of irritated eyes. When our tear ducts become irritated or blocked due to smoke, dust, steam or wind, or even cutting onions, then our eyes might become teary more than usual. By staying moist and lubricated, your eyes are trying to protect themselves and clear the debris. Visiting an ophthalmologist can be of great help to keep your eyes safe, protected, and less watery.
Moreover, if you stay awake at night staring mindlessly at your smartphone or staying up late to finish your projects before the deadline to grab that promotion, then there’s no doubt it will have an effect on the health of your eyes.
Your Tears Make You Who You Are
So why do you cry easily? Because you are a human. Girls as well as guys who cry easily are not weak. On the contrary, your tears are a sign of your emotional strength. It means you feel deeply and you value your emotions and your feelings. You’re not a robot or a zombie who goes through life without feeling a single thing. Although it can be great to be stoic about certain things in life, feeling your emotions tells you that you’re alive, you live passionately, and you have a heart. And that’s the best thing any of us can hope for.
Read The Science of Crying: Why It Is Healthy & Necessary For Personal Growth
So go ahead and own your tears.
However, if you are crying uncontrollably or intensely all the time, then you need to seek immediate medical help. Crying is normal, but so is having control over your emotions. Get help and advice from a medical professional immediately.
So, what do you think about our article “9 Reasons Why Do You Cry Easily”? Do you cry easily or are your tears are hard to come out? Don’t forget to share your story with us!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Do I Cry So Easily?
There may be several reasons why you cry easily, including high sensitivity, depression, and anxiety.
Is Crying Easily A Disorder?
Crying easily can be a sign of high sensitivity, but crying more than normal, might be a neurological disorder or a symptom of depression.
Do People Who Cry Easily Are Weak?
No, crying is acknowledging emotions and it is not a sign of weakness.
How To Stop Crying Easily?
There are a few tips that can help you stop crying, such as walking away, distracting yourself, thinking happy thoughts, focusing on breathing, and more.
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