Feelings of Anger, Frustration, fear, pain, sadness and Joy can all end in tears - but is crying really good for you?
So far, no studies have proved or disproved any theory of health benefits.
Scientists have suggested that stress chemicals are released in tears and so tears remove chemicals that build up in times of emotional stress supporting popular assumptions that crying is cathartic and therapeutic.
Crying = toxic chemicals are released = physically healthy
Not crying = Toxins remain in body = physically unhealthy,
In other tests though - heart, respiratory and temperature responses showed that crying results in increased tension, stress and negative feelings.
Interestingly, in tears produced without emotion, say when peeling onions - such chemically induced tears don’t contain prolactin. Social and cultural differences will always play a large part in how attitudes are formed.
Even within the United Kingdom, there are variations - The ‘English stiff upper lip’ is actually stiffest in other parts of Britain.
Men in London appear to cry the most while in Scotland men cry the least- this supporting the stereotypical view of ‘Soft Southerners’ and ‘Tough Northerners’.
So what about those Japanese Men?
Not unlike the British, they are considered to be generally restrained emotionally- even shy.
Crying clubs may offer a secure environment and a self-driven method of inducing real tears allowing personal emotional exploration with a sense of control kept intact, thereby losing the stress…………..without losing face!
Is it for us? At the risk of being repetitive - Remember karaoke?
Crying clubs have emerged in the U.K. but so far nothing quite the same as Japan.
The ‘Last Tuesday Society’ has recently hosted ‘Crying’ events in central London, housed in candle – lit 17th century vaults beneath Regents Street and attracting those with a leaning towards the ‘Pataphsyical’( a philosophy dedicated to studying what lies beyond the realm of Metaphysics? – a parody of modern science). |
