If you’ve read anything on my blog, you may know that I’ve traditionally taken a traditional approach to treat my OCD, anxiety, and depression, e.g., exposure response therapy (ERP) and western medicine.
There have been ups and downs—a lot of downs—but I’ve found a recipe that works.
At least for now.
Over time, I’ve opened up to more “out-of-the-box” treatments and therapies.
Controlled breathing is one of those ways as is the depression-reducing Mediterranean diet. I’m not quite convinced that diet can rid me of depression, but studies are making me a believer. At the very least, I know that nutrition plays a big role in how I feel.
So is Ikigai, or the Japanese concept referring to something that gives you a sense of purpose and a reason for living.
As I open my eyes to these natural remedies to treat my mental health, I keep finding more.
My most recent discovery: Rui-katsu, the Japanese word that translates to “tear activity.”
What’s Rui-katsu?
Rui-katsu, “invented” by Hiroki Terai in 2013, means to “seek tears,” “tear activity” or “tear-seeking” in Japanese.
Hiroki Terai’s business quickly evolved as companies big and small hired him and “handsome weeping boys,” or ikemeso danshi, to come to their offices, play different films, and make their employees cry.
These handsome gents—used because Hiroki Terai says, “it’s exciting”—then go around and wipe the tears away.
These films often center around topics like “ill pets or father-daughter relationships”—you know, topics that’d make the average Joe and Jane show some emotion.
So, in the absolute simplest of terms, Rui-katsu is a crying workshop.
Why Do You Cry?
There’s more to the question “why do you cry?” than “because you’re sad.”
In reality, we cry for a few reasons, and emotion is just one of those reasons. The reason we cry depends on the type of tears.
Types of Tears
Basal Tears
Basal tears coat our eyes all day, improve vision, hydrate our eyes and sharpen our focus. Think of these tears as the protectors of your eyes; I like to think of them as tears, but not really tears.
Irritant Tears
Irritant or reflex tears are your eyes’ protectors and flow due to irritants or reflexes that come when you’re peeling onions, getting sick to your stomach, or getting something in your eye. I like to think of irritant or reflex tears as a “forcefield” that keeps the bad stuff at least an eyelash away.
Emotional Tears
Emotional tears are associated with strong emotions, including empathy, compassion, physical pain, attachment pain, moral and sentimental emotions. They don’t have as much to do with “protecting” your eyes as they do with letting the outside world know that you’re “feeling” some type of way.
These are the tears at the heart of rui-katsu.
Is Crying Good for You?
The societal definition of tears almost always includes mention of negativity.
Sure, happy tears exist—like on your wedding day or the day your child is born—but most people assume the bad stuff in life when they see someone crying.
It’s why “what’s wrong?” is almost always the default question when someone’s shedding a few tears.
Although crying is biologically a way to let the outside world know that you’re dealing with something negative, science tells us that certain tears—the emotional ones—actually have a positive effect on our brains.
According to a Harvard study, crying releases oxytocin and endorphins, the feel-good chemical that helps ease physical and emotional pain.
For context, hugging, kissing, cuddling, and sexual intimacy are also known to increase oxytocin production, while endorphin production is tied to exercise, laughing, and listening to music.
These feel-good chemicals are commonplace in our lives—crying just isn’t a commonly thought-of source.
Another study found that emotional tears contain higher levels of stress hormones and more mood-regulating manganese than other types of tears.
Stephen Sideroff, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist at UCLA, said that stress “tightens muscles and heightens tension, so when you cry you release some of that.” He went on to say, “[Crying] activates the parasympathetic nervous system and restores the body to a state of balance.”
For reference, your parasympathetic nervous system is a network of nerves that relaxes your body following periods of stress or danger.
So, is crying good for you?
Absolutely.