Mission Connection has published a new guide on crying spells, frequent episodes of intense and difficult-to-control crying, adding to its educational series geared toward raising public awareness on lesser-known mental health issues. The resource covers symptoms, causes, and possible treatments effective at helping individuals manage crying spells.
For more information, please visit https://missionconnectionhealthcare.com/mental-health/emotional-behavioral-symptoms/crying-spells/
Crying is a natural response to feelings of sadness, grief, frustration, or joy and is often a healthy way to release emotions. However, Mission Connection’s guide says that when crying becomes involuntary, it is often a symptom of underlying issues and requires attention. This is especially true when episodes occur abnormally frequently and with no obvious reason, often interfering with daily activities and leaving the individual feeling emotionally drained, embarrassed, and without any understanding of why they happen.
Major depressive disorders, which are mood conditions that can have significant impacts on daily functioning due to changes in brain function, are known to be a common cause of crying spells in adults. Similarly, Mission Connection says people with anxiety disorders are more likely to have overly reactive emotional systems due to heightened feelings of sadness and frequent perceptions of threats to personal safety—many also report crying spells during or after panic attacks because of intense and often overwhelming fear.
Aside from mental health conditions, Mission Connection’s guide notes that burnout, hormonal changes, unresolved grief or trauma, neurological conditions like the pseudobulbar effect, and medications can inhibit an individual’s ability to regulate emotions and reduce their resilience against stressors, possibly leading to uncontrollable crying.
To prevent crying spells from occurring in inappropriate settings, Mission Connection says that individuals can control their breathing to lower stress levels or try smiling, the latter of which activates neural pathways that can interrupt the crying reflex. The resource adds that leading a healthy lifestyle and regularly practicing mindfulness techniques can help individuals better cope with intense emotions, potentially reducing the frequency of episodes.
However, crying spells associated with mental illnesses typically won’t resolve on their own and require professional care. Per Mission Connection's guide, cognitive behavioral therapy and psychodynamic therapy are both effective modalities for addressing emotional distress and can help patients develop more resilience.
More information is available at https://missionconnectionhealthcare.com/