What is the physiological purpose of crying?

Question

Is there a physical purpose for weeping or crying? Or is it strickly emotional?

Answer 1

Hey!

I must tell u that ur question is really interesting to ponder upon...
Here it goes...

A primary function of crying is to communicate needs and discomforts that require a caretaking intervention—such as feeding, holding, stimulation, or a change in position. When an infant expresses a need by crying, it is the caretaker’s responsibility to discern the infant’s need and to satisfy it as accurately and as promptly as possible.
The biochemical analyses of the kinds of tears revealed statistically significant differences, specifically higher protein concentrations in the emotionally induced tears. Further analyses of tears revealed the presence of certain hormones and neurotransmitters that are found to be present in the body during stress. These substances serve to prepare the various body organs to cope adaptively with stress. However, since they are no longer needed after the stressful event is terminated, their continued presence would maintain the body in a state of needless tension and arousal.
Other researchers have measured physiological changes during crying in adults and have found that crying lowers the blood pressure, pulse rate, and body temperature, and results in more synchronized brain-wave patterns.
If crying removes excess chemicals from the body and also reduces tension, one would expect it to be related to physical and psychological health. Several studies have confirmed this. For example, children suffering from various forms of trauma benefit from therapy that allows the natural stress-release mechanism of crying (Emerson, 1989; Jewett, 1982; Levine, 1994). Severely disturbed children also benefit from crying. Several therapists have noted profound and rapid improvements in autistic children after they were allowed and encouraged to cry and rage during holding-therapy sessions (Waal, 1955; Welch, 1983; Zaslow and Breger, 1969), and children with extreme behavior problems have also been cured with similar holding therapy (Magid and McKelvey, 1987).

This is all from my side...hope it helps!

Cheers,
CM

Answer 2

Throughout history and in every culture, people cry. "Weeping often occurs at precisely those times when we are least able to fully verbalize complex, overwhelming emotions and least able to fully articulate our feelings," Lutz writes.

Crying can also be an escape; it allows us to turn away from the cause of our anguish, and inward toward our own bodily sensations. Scientists feel that weeping is probably necessary because no human behavior has ever continuously evolved unless it somehow contributed to survival.

"Science has proven that stress is terrible for the health of your brain, heart and other organs," says William Frey II, Ph.D., biochemist and tear expert of the Ramsey Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. "It isn't proven yet, but weeping has most likely served humans throughout our evolutionary history by reducing stress."

Answer 3

Chemicals in your body, found in tears, also cause emotional turmoil while bubbling around in your brain. Crying rids the body of these, tears carry a small trace of these naturally occuring chemicals, and while crying during sadness, the body releases what is making the brain feel sad.

Answer 4

if you've ever had a girlfriend you'd know this, watch a girl be on the verge of a mental breakdown then cry for 2 minutes then she's fine again, and occassional ten times stronger (inner strength wise).

it's an emotional release that has physical benefits.

Answer 5

A defense mechanism that helps you face stressful situation. Unlike common belief, crying is not normal or okay. Alternate ways for dealing with your crises are almost always better.

Answer 6

It has been hypothesised that tears actually contain low levels of stress hormones, and thus crying actually decreases the levels in you body and makes you feel better.........

I can't comment on whether or not this is actually true, it's just something I've heard before.

Answer 7

Uncontrolable joy is expressed with laughter. Uncontrolable sorrow is expressed with tears. Of course there are also tears of joy. Crying tears is simply an emotional response.

Answer 8

stress release. It may also release endorphins in your body to temporarily reduce pain.

Your body can only handle so much stress before it has a break down, and crying is part of this breakdown.

Answer 9

Strictly emotional although water from the eyes keeps the eyeballs smooth.

Answer 10

Bodily impurities are released through tears, resulting in that sense of relief you experience after a good cry.