A study on tears and what effect they have on our bodies, published in the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science, confirmed: crying is useful!
After reviewing the test results of 3,000 respondents, psychologists found out that the benefits of crying are by no means a myth or a metaphor. It actually exists, but always depends on the circumstances of the emotional outburst.
In particular, most of the research participants admitted that after crying it becomes easier for them. At the same time, about 30% say that tears do not bring them relief, and another 10% say that crying becomes even worse. Psychologists explain this situation with the fact that it became easier for crying to those respondents who received in response the support and sympathy of others.
But this is not the limit – according to the researchers, tears are also extremely useful in terms of physiology. So, it was proved that it relaxes and helps slow breathing. The latter are somewhat compensated by simultaneous sweating and tachycardia, but the relaxing effect of crying quickly neutralizes them. That is why a person usually feels pleasantly relaxing after sobbing.
However, according to all the same scientists, there is a category of people who cry on the contrary is contraindicated. Speech about the owners of various affective disorders and those who suffer from increased anxiety – to such persons tears, on the contrary, bring exclusively harm.
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