Solve the doubt about why we cry when angry

Have you ever been so furious that you cry? It is a feeling which you may confuse that you are rather angry than sad but why do you cry? What are the reasons behind this? ACU PAY will tell you about human body mechanisms.

Why do we cry?

First of all, let’s talk about tears broadly. Tears are basically a lubricant to protect our cornea. Nevertheless, the ’emotional tears’ that flow when we cry, the occurrence of these types of tears, scientists have found that this kind of tear contain chemicals of stress.

This means that tears are ‘relief’ or to relieve stress. That is the reason why many people feel better when they cry. It feels much better than when they cannot cry.

It has also been studied that crying stimulates the body to release endorphins, also known as happy hormones. However, that doesn’t mean crying makes you happy right away, but crying makes you feel better afterward.

It is said that this ‘crying’ for communication is rarely found in animals other than humans. Although many people may say that they have seen dogs, cats, cows, or buffalo cry, those animals’ tears come out only when they are in pain. What scientists are trying to say is that animals shed tears when hurt, but they do not use tears to express ’emotion’ as human does.

Therefore, paying attention to the tears of those close to you is a mechanism that shows sympathy, and supports people of the same tribe or group to survive.

Why do we cry when we are angry?

Usually, people link crying with sadness, but Ad Vingerhoets, a scientist and professor of clinical psychology at the Tilburg University of the Netherlands, who has been studying tears and crying for 20 years, says that more than crying because of sadness, it’s about feeling powerless because we don’t know how to deal with that situation.

When we experience anger mixed with sadness, rage, frustration, and impotence, tears are linked to those emotions, because that’s the easiest way to express them, although anger may not be the only emotion you feel at the time.

“Weeping out is the only way that we can be released from all the pressure at that time.” Thus, this is the reason why we cry when we are very pissed off.

Is there any way to stop crying?

Nevertheless, there’s a way to deal with tears and anger, and the most effective way is distraction. Try breathing slowly for about 5 to 10 minutes, go outside to get some air, and have a glass of water, you can vent your feelings through writing, or talk to people who are ready to listen to you to analyze yourself and the reason to control your emotions.

However, if it feels too heavy to hold back the tears, it is not wrong to cry out. It’s not a shame or a weakness, because crying helps to convey our emotions when words can’t express them.