Go ahead and cry – it could make you feel better and healthier.
Crying is a common and useful reaction to problems versus suppressing your emotions and potentially harming your health, warned mental health charity Mind, which polled 2,063 adults and launched a free guide for coping with stress and anxiety.
The poll, conducted online by Populus between May 8 and 10 this year, found that one in four 18- to 34-year-old respondents consider showing their emotions a sign of weakness. According to four in five, they put on a brave face when they are anxious.
Women are three times more likely than men (18 compared to 6 percent) to have cried due to anxiety in the past week, and twice as likely (63 compared to 29 percent) to feel better after crying. Thirty-six percent of women also tend to hide in the toilets at work once anxiety kicks in, compared with 15 percent of surveyed men.
The elderly appear to be better off: two-fifths of respondents in the over-55 category say it has been a while since they cried out of anxiety, or that they have never done so because of it.
Mind, however, found that only half of people surveyed agreed that anxiety could be a mental health problem.
Anxiety has now joined the ranks of depression as the most common reason for calls to Mind’s Infoline. “In 2014/15 alone there were 6,087 calls about anxiety and panic attacks, which accounted for nearly one in six of all calls,” the charity said.
Mind called for addressing the symptoms of anxiety – such as feeling tense and restless, rapid breathing and persistent negative thoughts – before they become severe and have serious effects, such as sleep problems and a weakened immune system.
“Although it might seem tempting to put on a brave face, it really is OK to cry. It’s time for us all to stop holding back the tears and reach out for support,” encouraged Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind.
Those seeking help in the United Kingdom may text ‘ANXIETY’ to 70660 to receive the free Mind guide or visit www.mind.org.uk/getyourguide.
Photo: Uwe Richter Photography | Flickr
