Crying is often seen as a sign of weakness in the hegemonic identity of the male personality. Men simply aren’t supposed to cry. Likewise, men aren’t supposed to be emotional and they are not supposed to become emotionally vulnerable to the point of tears. Such a pressure to be scientifically inhuman is too much for anyone to bear. The refusal to cry can be a societal imposition or it can be the creation of personal experiences which leave an impression.

Humans need to cry. A man’s first big emotional break can be one of the most transformational moments of his life as he begins to let go of the toxic past and build a foundation for a future of freedom from addiction. The therapeutic efforts of a long term treatment program help men discover their authentic selves and free themselves from the bonds of emotional imprisonment.

There are three kinds of tears we can learn from.

Reflex:

Our tear ducts are very responsive and survival ready. When something gets in the eye, the eye tears up. Threatening particles like smoke and dirt in the air threaten the safety of our eyes. Our eyes have the reflex of producing tears to get all of the potentially harmful particles out.

Continuous:

Tears are necessary for the actual eyeball itself. Though tears can be emotionally inclined they are also physiologically driven. One of the purpose of tears is to keep the eyeball wet. Having dry eyes is irritating and uncomfortable. Continuous tears are the kind that get produced in order to keep the eyeball from getting too dry.

Emotional:

A combination of hormones and endorphins are mixed into our emotional tears. When we hold in our emotions, like when we avoid crying, we create a build up of stress hormones throughout our bodies, including in our tears. Once we finally are able to let all of our emotions out through a deep and deserving sob, we are letting go of that build up. “Letting it all out” is an adequate description rather than a creative one. The pent up stress of “holding it all in” is immediately released as soon as we start shedding some authentic tears. Part of the reason we feel a physical as well as psychological release after we cry is because endorphins are released from the act. What felt like a weight bearing down on us now feels like nothing more than a feather. Crying liberates us to such a degree that it is an invigorating and enlivening experience. Both good for us and a feel-good experience, we wonder why we don’t cry more often.

There is freedom from addiction. Tree House Recovery is teaching men how to find freedom through the creation of sustainable change. As a result, men find sustainable recovery and a brand new life. Call us today for information on our residential treatment programs in Portland, Oregon: (503) 850-2474