Prolonged crying that persists without reason is not normal and may indicate a serious condition requiring treatment.
“It's very normal for there to be some daily fussiness. Crying up to three hours a day is still within a normal range.”
Uncontrollable crying spells have several potential mental health causes, which can include feelings of anxiety, depression, grief, and negative self-talk Mental health diagnoses can take time to diagnose and treat, which creates even further distress over experiencing uncontrollable crying spells.
Crying for a long period of time leaves anybody tired, usually with a headache or feeling sore all over. If they've been particularly loud about it, they might have a sore throat too. When people cry for that long, it's usually because their emotions have overwhelmed them and they simply can't stop.
Severe grief or disruption can cause anyone to cry, and that's normal. Prolonged crying that persists without reason is not normal and may indicate a serious condition requiring treatment.
How Much Crying Is Too Much? No guidelines exist that determine how much people should or should not cry. Studies indicate that women tend to shed more emotional tears than men. One study found that women cried an average of 5.3 times per month while men cried 1.4 times during the same period.
Bad Effects of Crying on Health
But for some, the act of crying can cause medical complications. It can lead to fits or can cause acute shortness of breath. For those with severe heart conditions, there can be a cardiac pain. Crying can take a toll on your body if you have certain medical conditions.
When a person cries, several muscles in their face tense up. They may also feel tension in their jaw, down their neck, and at the back of their head. If a person is crying over a prolonged period, the continuous contractions of these muscles may result in a tension headache.
This type of crying may result from a mental health condition, such as burnout, anxiety, or depression. It might instead stem from hormonal imbalances or neurological conditions. If frequent crying for no apparent reason is causing concern, see a doctor for a diagnosis or a referral to a mental health professional.
It's also not uncommon to feel like crying before, during, or after an anxiety attack. Many people feel impending doom, as though they are about to die. They respond by crying because that's a natural response to a feeling of intense dread along with the physiological reaction that occurs during a panic episode.
Emotional tears contain stress hormones and other chemicals, so shedding tears as a response to stress, or any other emotion, can help us let go of them. Research shows that there are even more benefits to crying, too. “It's important to relieve stress in healthy ways.
"Crying activates the body in a healthy way," says Stephen Sideroff, Ph. D., a clinical psychologist at UCLA and director of the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Ethics. "Letting down one's guard and one's defenses and [crying] is a very positive, healthy thing.
You might be the type who doesn't remember the last time you cried, but your body is still producing 5 to 10 ounces of tears every day. And when you reach for the tissues at a wedding or funeral, the tears are different than the ones that emerge when you're chopping onions.
There can be many different reasons. Sometimes, we become more emotional when we go through difficult or stressful times. Recent bereavement, trauma, and stress can make us feel more emotional. Some people tend to be emotionally sensitive because it's a part of their personality.
Researchers have established that crying releases oxytocin and endogenous opioids, also known as endorphins. These feel-good chemicals help ease both physical and emotional pain.
Dr. Hayag also mentions something called petechiae, which are tiny red or purple dots on the skin that can occur after excessive crying. “These dots usually disappear after a few days, unlike broken capillaries,” she says.
When someone cries, their heart rate increases and their breathing slows down. The more vigorous the crying, the greater the hyperventilation, which reduces the amount of oxygen the brain receives — leading to an overall state of drowsiness.
/ˈkrɑɪbeɪbi/ Other forms: crybabies. A crybaby is someone who cries very easily and complains a lot. If you have a younger sister, you've probably called her a crybaby from time to time.
How much crying is considered normal? Crying is a normal behavior caused by a variety of reasons that include emotional, physical and chemical responses from your body. But it's possible you can cry too much or not cry enough. Either can cause damage to your eyes if left untreated.
It's best not to hold in emotions all the time, but sometimes it's important to hold back tears. If you need to control a cry, try to hold back your tears just until you're in a better place for them. This way you won't suppress your emotions altogether.
You can't set a time limit on tears. Avoiding having a good cry may result in you feeling sadder for longer. Trust your body, it will know when you have cried enough. If you do make the connection with where your pain is coming from and allow yourself to cry, you will find, your tears will come to a natural stop.
In the short term, it can cause pesky problems such as irritability, anxiety, and poor sleep. But over time, repressing your tears can lead to cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension — or even cancer.
A typical crying session lasts about 5-6 minutes, but that's just an average. If you cry for longer than that, that's okay. You don't need to restrain yourself. But if your tears dry up after only a couple of minutes, don't keep digging for more.