cry me a river

Why? ›

By Laurel Gillum

According to psychologists, there are three types of tears. Basal tears are produced from the lacrimal gland between your eyeball and eyelid, cleaning the eyes and protecting your vision. Refl ex tears, also from the lacrimal gland, come in response to physical irritation, such as dust or strong odors. Finally, emotional tears are a natural response to sadness, pain or even overwhelming happiness.

Grab your box of tissues, and check out these FAQs on the following sappy subjects.

Why do I cry when I am sad?

Emotional crying is a refl ex triggered by your nervous system. Tears are produced in response to stress, joy, sadness or other emotions and even physical pain. Ever feel better after a good, long cry? Emotional tears contain a natural painkiller called leucine enkephalin. Makes perfect sense!

Why do I cry when I am happy?

The sympathetic nervous system takes over during times of stress. When triggered, your hypothalamus doesn’t know whether you’re happy or sad. All it knows is that it’s getting a strong neural signal from the amygdala, registering an emotional reaction, and that it must, in turn, activate the autonomic nervous system.

Why do I cry when I see someone else cry?

Empathy and a natural physical response is key here. The areas activated in the brain when you have an emotional response to a situation are also activated when you see someone else crying.

Why does my baby cry?

Babies only really have one way to express themselves when they’re unhappy. A baby’s cry is a form of communication. They cry to let you know they are hungry or their diaper needs changing.

Is crying good for me?

Yes, definitely. Emotional tears contain mood-regulating manganese and can help stabilize the mind and body after a stressful situation.

How do some people cry on demand?

Actors use di erent techniques to cry on demand. The most popular technique involves focusing on a sad memory, thus reliving the situation and causing the brain to produce the same response as if the situation had just occurred.