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I can't stop crying for days on end. What do I do?

166 Answers
Last Updated: 06/12/2022 at 12:21am
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
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Melissa Strauss, LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor

I am client focused and believe everyone has a strength. I feel confident in seeing clients with generalized and social anxiety, depression and relational goals.

Top Rated Answers
Greatlistener87
- Expert in Managing Emotions
June 29th, 2016 2:01am
There must be something that is triggering the crying. Find out what it is and deal with that trigger.
Zelomi
September 8th, 2016 4:13pm
Crying is an excellent way to deal with emotions. If you have been crying for days, is usually because you have bottled up many feelings for a very long time. This can lead to a mental stress, and when that happens your body has a physical reaction to the emotions. The crying will stop once your body has decided that you have dealt with your feelings.
wishfulDreamer58
June 17th, 2018 7:07am
Crying is an outlet for pent up emotional energy. First thing is to acknowledge that there is lot of emotional energy within you which is seeking some more meaningful expression. The very fact that you have raised this question suggests that you are not content with crying- you are looking at some more meaningful expression. Quantum physicists and ancient masters tell us that everything in this world is energy. You are releasing the emotional energy through crying. You may like to ask yourself- "What would it be like to convert this energy into something more empowering?" "What kind of activities give me power ?" "What kind of activities make me alive?" "When do I see myself expressing to the fullest?" "What would be different when I channelize and focus my vital energies into something which creates value and usefulness for self as well as others?" - I would invite you to reflect on these questions. You need not resist urge to cry. Just bring these questions into your conscious awareness. Your innate wisdom would guide you with light and direction. Wishing you the very best!
ShareWidSandy
July 29th, 2016 10:58pm
Whenever you cry take a moment a deep breath and try to figure out why are you crying; be as specific as possible and hunt for the root cause at the rawest human behavior. For example: Your boss is not happy with your work, you are not making enough money, Love life is loveless etc. Each of these things annoy you or even make you miserable to a level where you feel like crying then ask why when this particular event happens it triggers sad emotions. Does this event induce old bad memories? Does it make you feel insecure? What happened in past or childhood, Can you associate these feelings with this event? Once you know what is the root cause you will still feel the same but now slowly slowly with time this feeling will fade away. If you are in a situation where you can't even think in this manner and feel complete helplessness do reach out to your friends and family. Cry once for misery you're in like you laugh for one joke. It's complicated many times and we can't control it always but never lose hope. You might smile longer than you think. :-)
Anonymous
July 23rd, 2016 3:32pm
walk outside and look at the sky. close your eyes and feel the wind will blow you mind. make a deep breath and be grateful
Anonymous
August 7th, 2016 10:17am
I know how that feels because I've been through extremely difficult times in my life. These experiences made me stronger and made me realise many things about life and about people. The crying will stop and you will be stronger and you will start finding your happiness on your own.
Kenai
September 30th, 2016 4:18am
It's important to take care of yourself. What would you do if a good friend was upset? Do things you would do for a friend: give yourself a compliment, treat yourself to a good book or a hot cup of tea, something to take your mind off things for a little while.
Supergirl94
August 10th, 2016 5:44am
Let yourself cry and feel, think about why you are crying, what thoughts you are having when you cry. What triggers may cause you to cry. If you are crying there is usually a reason and something you need to work through or even just the need to relieve your emotions through tears. If you feel there is something more behind it I would see a doctor.
MintyLemon0921
April 1st, 2018 4:00am
Cry and cry until you cant feel anything anymore. It is best to cry rather than keeping it inside you. It will suffocates you so thats why you should cry.
Anonymous
September 29th, 2017 9:15am
It sounds like you are truly going through something. What have you tried so far? You're the expert on you, but some options might be to: focus on your breathing with deep slow breathes; reach out to a friend, family member, or doctor; distract yourself with anything that won't hurt you or other people; do some jumping jacks; go for a walk outside; have a picnic on your floor; tell yourself what your favorite part about yourself is; think about what you'd suggest to a friend who was crying for days on end; remember that this feeling will pass eventually; remember the good times; try to practice a body meditation technique to help relax your face muscles; try to count backwrds from 100. It's okay to seek professional support if crying is interfering with your day-to-day wellbeing. Please be well and know that it is normal to grieve, you are human, and it will pass eventually even if that feels like a long way from now. Keep hanging in there and trying.
helpfulMoment81
July 17th, 2016 8:00pm
I would suggest going to see a counselor. This is a sign of depression and can be known as "crying spells". Sometimes you do not understand why youre crying, and so professional help is probably the best thing to turn to.
Anonymous
June 22nd, 2017 2:38pm
Crying is OK, there's nothing wrong with it,cry until your heart's content but maybe talk to someone
Anonymous
April 18th, 2018 6:00am
Crying is OK. Don't be too hard on yourself. Try asking yourself "what do I need right now"? That way your body will feel listened to.
pizzaasthetic13
July 20th, 2017 4:57am
Try to listen to uplifting music and get up and active! Often times sitting around or not doing much can promote feelings of sadness and increase depression. Go outside and get some sunlight and remember to be kind to yourself. Do things that make you happy or take part in activities or hobbies you enjoy. Call a loved one, make art, sing, pet animals, among many other things to improve mood and productivity.
TacoSoup
October 11th, 2016 9:27pm
Crying is natural. Try to cry it out, but let yourself realize that you need to move on from this moment and into a new one.
Kayleighrose
July 2nd, 2016 4:22pm
I reach out to trusted loved ones (my boyfriend and my dad) and tell them how I've been feeling. I stay consistent with therapy and really push myself to go to sober support meetings along with trying my hardest to get myself out of the house.
NinaBee
July 14th, 2021 9:04pm
First of all, go drink some water. A full cup or two at the very least. I'm going to focus on your immediate needs before addressing underlying issues. It could be helpful to go take a shower, and really make sure you're feeling the water and the soap, and the shampoo if you wash your hair. Maybe hum a little tune in there. It helps, I promise. After, if you have any lotions/body butters/etc, use those. Care for your body so you can care for your mind. Otherwise, put on comforting, fresh clothes, brush your hair and teeth. Now that your body is taken care of, go eat if you can. Or else try journalling your feelings, reasons and possible solutions. You can even light a candle and/or play some soft, happy music. It could also be beneficial to speak to someone about it, be it a friend, an expert, or one of the lovely Listeners here on 7 cups. Take care
Anonymous
June 29th, 2018 8:50pm
crying is a healthy way to release trapped, intense and hidden emotions. its okay to cry, its okay to let it all out. once you feel more stable, have a shower or splash your face with water, get into some comfy clothes and take it easy or do something that may boost your mood or smile.
Anonymous
June 21st, 2018 9:59am
Stop thinking negative things. Play the favorite songs and dance. Make me busier with work and cafe chat with friends
Anonymous
May 12th, 2018 8:20am
The best thing is to talk to someone you can trust. Someone who can support and understand you. Try looking for a friend or someone you are close to. If you are crying because of a certain thing that you find hard to talk to someone close to, talking to a stranger (such as a therapist) will most definitely help as well
jovialMermaid84
July 17th, 2016 7:09am
Emotional release is a way of allowing what we are experiencing to process. If we do not allow this, it's possible the pent of emotions will be displayed in a negative way later on. Always make room for this purging. It will benefit you in the end.
Anonymous
August 31st, 2016 1:49pm
Cry until you have cried about everything that makes you sad and then get up and move forward. Bottling things up is bad. When you need to cry, cry.
Freespiritedwarrior
June 24th, 2020 8:19pm
Sometimes it's okay to cry. But to stop you can try and distract yourself, find some form of escapism or something that can make you laugh, such as your favourite TV show. Reach out to a trusted friend or family member, they can help cheer you up remind you of how far you've come and put things into perspective. Have a dance party to your favourite songs if your able. Maybe meet up with people in a safe environment and do a fun activity. It will take your mind off it and give you a dense of normality.
Licomysterious
November 9th, 2017 6:10pm
First take down paper and pen and write down a question why I am crying? Then answer all possibilities and try to solve one by one start by the easiest one.
Anonymous
May 7th, 2020 6:37am
Well talking helps for some people. Here at 7Cups we have trained listeners, who can listen to you. For others meditation helps them. Also 7cups has a Guide called Help Managing your Emotions. It has a lot of tips in there, that are quite helpful. If your emotions keep you down, you could have depression. It is best to see your Dr, and have your mental health checked out. Talk to a friend you trust. Maybe see a Professional Counselor. Maybe talk with your Church Pastor. Maybe talk to your family. Maybe join 7cups as a member. When you do, 7cups has support rooms,were they offer emotional support. Crying a lot could also mean your stressed out. If your stressed out,then do some meditation of some kind. I hope these suggestion are help for to you.
SoulfulMind92
August 27th, 2016 3:07am
It's best to find out the cause behind your tears. What is it that is making you cry and once you find out what it is, then you can search for what to do.
GoldenRuleJG
November 18th, 2020 8:18pm
Often times, we face sad feelings due to personal choices or the actions of others. It's absolutely understandable to experience symptoms of anxiety and sadness when unexpected, sudden events happen in your life that cause grief such as a bereavement of a loved one. It is recommended that you reach out to support groups going through the same feelings you are going through so that you know you are not alone and from hearing others experiences you are able to develop that self-compassion for your situation. A 2011 case study found the average duration for crying was 8 minutes. To challenge the response to cry you can make changes through seeking support via psychotherapy, reading articles to condition yourself to breathe more through your nose and out through your mouth. Other devices that can be used is going out for a walk to change your immediate location, relaxing facial muscles, or thinking about something repetitious that you have remembered like a poem. It may also be relevant to note information down regarding what you feel in a journal if finding it difficult to articulate into words or hesitant to tell others.
McDupie
December 3rd, 2020 2:12pm
From my personal experience this might be caused by mild depression due to various factors; sometimes even factors that you yourself is not consciously aware of. Get some exercise; move and burn up some of that excess adrenaline that you are producing causing some if not all of the tears. Journal ; whether it is writing it down or making yourself a voice recording or video; Journal about all of your emotions. but target happy small pleasures as well. Intentionally laugh at small things (even as it is difficult to focus during this time). I don't have advise on how to stop the tears once it has started flowing; but these that I have listed here helped me to greatly reduce those tears.
Anonymous
January 23rd, 2019 12:37pm
I know life can be tough. That’s why when you begin to feel sad you gotta pick yourself up. Once you start crying you start to cry about everything else that has went wrong in your life. Know that life isn’t prefect, stuff that have happened in the past shouldn’t consume you - they’re meant to be forgotten. You deserve to be happy ❤️❤️ Each time you feel like crying i want you to call a best friend or a family member, often calling a loved one cheers us up and helps us to remember our worth. Take care
cherishedApple29
April 19th, 2017 8:54pm
Crying is a humans way of experessing various emotions; sadness, happiness, etc. To bottle up your emotions is going to harm you mentally, cry if you want, cry until it feels like your sorrows has gone with along with your tears. Remember after the rain, comes a beautiful rainbow💋