We’ve all been told that it’s good to “let it all out” and have a good cry, but doing so can leave you puffy-eyed, headachy and feeling wrung out.
So is there any truth in this idea that shedding a tear or two can do you good?
Emotional tears contain more of some hormones, including adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which tells the body to release the stress hormone cortisol, Brisbane psychologist Christine Bagley-Jones said.
“Cortisol is the hormone most responsible for looking after us if we’re in trouble or if we need that extra bit of energy, so it’s most prevalent when we have that fight or flight experience,” Ms Bagley-Jones said.
“So at the physiological level it is evident that crying does expend a build-up of this hormone.”
To find out more, listen to my ABC radio interview:
