The release of our emotions is important for our health.  Crying emotional tears is one very effective way to release emotions and to return the body—and mind—to homeostasis.

The famous British physician, Sir Henry Maudsley, went so far as to declare, “Sorrows which find no vent in tears, may soon make other organs weep.”     

One of my clients is a great example of how the failure to release emotions effects the body.  My client, I’ll call her Liz, had ignored her body for years, had lived above her neck, and had stuffed her emotional tears without even noticing.

After an impromptu doctor’s visit to discuss her DEXA scan, her doctor advised Liz to cut back on the long days, short nights, and harsh working conditions, and find a psychotherapist.  Luckily for Liz, she took her physician’s advice.  That’s how she met me and began to explore what was going on in her emotional and psychological life.  She gradually realized that her response to working in the legal profession was to hide any sign of weakness, including tears.  Not only did she present this strong, unemotional demeanor at work, she brought it into every other arena of her life.  During our sessions, Liz learned to meditate, learned Emotional Freedom Tapping (EFT), and got re-connected with her emotions.  She hired an associate and cut back on her hours.  After six months, her A1C went back into the normal range, and her thyroid and bone turnover levels went back to normal.

In order to restore her health, Liz Myler had opened up the wellspring in her heart.  Not only did she find increased good health, but she found that sharing her tears with loved ones helped her reduce her stress, find a safe emotional place she could visit as needed, and helped her to trust and to bond with those loved ones.  Liz did it, and so can you.  Read on to learn how.

Crying is a natural, built-in system of a healing body, explained Judith Orloff, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry at UCLA.  It releases stress and tension.  Suppressing emotions may lead to physical stress on the body, which can impact blood pressure, memory, and self-esteem.  At least one study has demonstrated significant associations with the inability to shed, or the suppression of, emotional tears and negative effects on mental health, including somatic consequences and frustration. When humans suppress their emotions, they suffer negative consequences in their emotional and physical well-being. Some researchers and scientists believe that suppressing emotional tears endangers physical health and causes headaches, ulcers, hypertension, and insomnia.