A lot of times relationships invoke tears…or weeping (really, who hasn’t cried themselves to sleep?). But somewhere along the way society has equated crying with weakness, causing many of us not to feel safe in shedding a few. Such a shame to, as crying is probably the fastest way to release emotions – and toxins.
All tears are not created equal, however. There are actually three types: continuous (keep our eyes moist), reflex (i.e., the onion cry), and emotional (i.e., break-ups, weddings, nice presents). Because each type of tear comes from a different “place” within us, it makes sense that they have different compositions.
William Frey, biochemist at The University of Minnesota, studied the make-up of tears. He discovered that emotional tears contain adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), which is released during times of stress. In other words, emotional tears release toxins just as sneezing and sweating do. No wonder I feel like a new (and nicer) person after a “good cry”.
So instead of the U.S. being such a happiness-pusher, maybe it should start doling out the tissues like Japan and Britain, where crying is “in”. In lieu of going to the self-help section of the bookstore, the Japanese and Brits are frequenting crying clubs. So what the hell are crying clubs, anyway? Well, they’re kinda like they sound; places that induce crying with tear-jerker films, sappy books, love songs, and divorce papers.
Going to a club to cry may sound odd, but we have laugher clubs and laughter yoga, so why not? I mean, wouldn’t it be nice to have someone else clean up your sniveling mess?
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