Weep for health

Anger, fear, or the shock of sudden sorrow brings physical changes in our bodies. The digestion is shut down, the blood pressure is raised, the heart speeds up, and the skin becomes cold. If maintained over a prolonged period, this emergency status makes the body – and the personality – tight, dry and rigid. In people who are afraid to let themselves pour forth their painful emotions, doctors find that suppressed tears can trigger such ailments as asthma, migraine headache, and many others. Weeping, on the other hand, comes as part of the reversal of conditions of alarm, shock and anger. Tears do not, therefore, mark a breakdown or low point, but a transition to warmth, hope and health. So there is a genuine wisdom in tears. In permitting ourselves to weep instead of repressing the impulse, we help ourselves to health.