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TEARS

Why do people cry? Recent evidence suggests that the tears produced by emotional crying may be a way that the body disposes of toxic substances. It may seem strange to think of crying as beneficial, yet many people say that "a good cry" makes them feel better.

The belief that crying has positive effects is of ancient origin;. More than two thousand years ago, Aristotle theorized that crying at a drama "cleanses the mind" of suppressed emotions by a process called catharsis: the reduction of distress by releasing the emotions. Many people attend movies and plays that they know beforehand are, shall we say, "elicitors of psychogenic lacrimation," or tearjerkers. Such people may cry freely in movies and may delight in the experience.

There have been a few studies on the health effects of crying. Borquist in 1906 obtained reports of the effects of crying, including the observation of 54 or 57 respondents that crying had positive results. Herbert Weiner found from reports that Asthma Attacks – long thought to be largely psychosomatic – may cease as a result of crying.

While the research on the benefits of crying is intriguing but hardly decisive, other strands of evidence are becoming available. Tears produced by emotional crying differ in chemical content from those caused by irritants such as onion juice. Emotional tears contain more protein than tears induced by irritants. William Frey contends that emotional crying is an eliminative process in which tears actually remove toxic substances form the body.

Crying may "cleanse the mind" in a much more literal sense than even the catharsis theorists imagine. Other researchers are now examining the contents of emotional tears for substances such as endorphins, ACTH, prolactin and growth hormone, all of which are released by stress. While the research on psychoactive substances in tears is just beginning, there is reason to think that emotional tears may be important in the maintenance of physical health and emotional balance.

Crying is not grief; it is a way of getting over your grief. Trembling isn't the same as fear. Rather it is part of a letting go of fear. In the same manner, embarrassed laughter, yawning, and even rap[id, excited talking are parts of the healing process that get mistaken for symptoms of the problem.

Jante Yassen, a Boston area social worker who leads groups for incest survivor, talks of the necessity of at least "1500 hours of crying" to get over the hurts of incest.

When we experience a loss or trauma, it creates energy within us that needs to be discharged. Unresolved grief festers like a deep wound when this energy is not discharged, this then builds up a state of chronic distress = Chronic Trauma Disorder {DSM, IV - proposed - PTSD}

REPRESSED GRIEF SURFACES AS RAGE

A good rule of thumb is that usually or always depressed people need to get in touch with rage and work though it. People who are rageful need then to get in touch with the grief. =
Helpless Rage.

YAWNING

Survivors of child abuse are often amazed that they find themselves experiencing wave after wave of yawning – one yawn following the last uncontrollably. There is evidence that this type of yawning is the way the body releases muscular tension and works its way through the physical aspect of abuse. These yawns maybe said to be the 'Silent Screams' of childhood's past pain & terror.

TIMING

As children being abused, and later adults struggling to survive, most survivors haven't felt their losses. Grieving is a way to honor the pain. Let go, and move into the present. But grief has its own rhythms, you can't say, "Okay, I'm going to grieve now.' Rather you must allow room for those feelings when they arise. Grief needs space. You can only really grieve when you give yourself the time security and permission to grieve.

SAFETY

One needs determination, hope and resources in order to be able to recover the trauma of child abuse. The most important resource is safety. With out the felling of safety all the survivors energies will be devoted to its pursuit. Their will be no time left for emotions nor a container to truly process them in.

"In the right environment. All expressions of emotions are therapeutic. As you come to accept the reality of a save,. Welcoming environment for your healing, the emotions will begin to appear."

REFERENCES

• Bass, Ellen & Davis, Laura, The Courage to Heal. Harper & Row. New York. 1988.
• Lew, Mike Victimes No Longer. Haper & Row. New York. 1988.
• Nair, Mohan MD A Step by Step Guide to Recovery. Health Communications, Inc. Florida. 1990.
• Ross, Colin MD. The Trauma Model of Psychpatology." P. Address Western Clinical Conference MP&D 4-1992.
• Ornstien, Robert Ph.D. & Sobel, David MD. The Healing Brian. Simon & /Schuseter. New York. 1987.
• Whitfield,. Charles MD. Healing the Child Within. Health Communications, Inc. Florida. 1987.

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This site is dedicated to my daughter Dianna Lee Heimstadt
- and to the day that child and fetal abbuse will only be studied as history.