Is crying good for you?

Many people would say yes. Crying is said to be cathartic, relieve stress and even remove toxins from the body, and most therapists claim it’s beneficial. There is evidence that blood pressure and heart rate fall after crying, while some allergic reactions are reduced after watching weepy films, and sufferers from rheumatoid arthritis who cry have less pain than those who don’t.

Yet the experimental evidence is mixed. Benefits are more likely when the reason for crying is a resolvable problem and the person crying is comfortable expressing their emotions and not otherwise depressed. One function of crying may be to show our distress, which can help build relationships, and this may be why crying helps.

WHY DO WE LAUGH WHEN TICKELED

Tickling  affects  the  same  unmyelinated  nerve  fibre  that  carries  pain  signals,  and  our  most  ticklish  parts  are  vulnerable  spots,  such  as  our  neck,  abdomen  and  armpits.  Laughing  for  joy  amusement  and  tickling  all  activate  brain  areas  controlling  facial  and  vocal  reactions,  but  only  tickling  activates  the  hypothalamus,  which  is  an  area  that  anticipates  pain.  It’s  possible  that  tickling  is  interpreted  as  a  threat  and  the  laughter  is  a  social  signal  of  submission  to  prevent  us  from  getting  hurt  or  to  defuse  a  scary  situation.