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Why do I feel worse after crying?

125 Answers
Last Updated: 05/20/2022 at 11:10am
1 Tip to Feel Better
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Top Rated Answers
AnchorTheStorm
February 9th, 2020 2:34am
I feel worse after crying because I’m worn out. My face is swollen, my eyes are red, nose is stuffed. Sometimes my stomach even hurts. I look at myself in the mirror and just feel even more broken and exhausted. I usually put a cold towel on my face, over my eyes especially for a few minutes just to get the redness out. The cold on my hot skin also really helps me to catch my breath a bit. I try to take deep breaths while I sit with a wet cloth on my face. But I hardly ever feel real relief from a “good cry”, I’m just exhausted and usually want a snack.
Oskar310
December 29th, 2019 5:20am
For most people; it's the sense of giving up. The drowning feeling of being weak, or not strong enough. Almost as if crying is to show for mental will, how strong someone is according to their emotions. Crying is associated with emotional vulnerability and a lot of people are uncomfortable with either showing that part of themselves, or knowing that it's there. Though that's far from the truth- crying is a sure sign of strength. It proves that one can still feel something, that they're still alive. And that is the best feeling ever, regardless of who it is.
gentleSun78
July 25th, 2019 12:29pm
You feel worse after crying because crying uses a lot of energy. Crying and sadness (which are interconnected as crying is expression of sadness) are emotions which lower our energy and are meant for mourning, grief when experiencing loss. When we are sad, our level of energy drops and it makes us feel worse. When we are happy again, our level of energy rise again and we can feel better again. Sometimes crying is also frowned upon in society and is not socially acceptable. In this case we can feel bad due to crying also because of our shame and remorse - we are afraid of violating social rules.
StarieDiamond
July 5th, 2019 2:59am
Because you know you could do better. That's why you're not done crying yet. Cry more. Feel how crying makes your eyes feel heavy. Then after you wake up, watch your favorite movie. Cry more. Listen to a sad music. Cry more. Cry until you're tired. Then at the end of the day, look into the mirror. Ask yourself if you're okay. Smile. Then talk to someone who can understand you. It won't solve your problems, but it'll make the burden in your heart go away a bit. After that, repent on what you should do. You'll be surprised why you were fretting over such things. Humans are amazing, believe me. After break-downs, they'll get up like it's nothing. Even though they might need more time.
LC1225
June 20th, 2019 1:24pm
Crying can have different impacts on different people. Some experience a sense of relief from it while others don't feel any sort of change. Then there are other people like yourself who actually feel worse off than they did before they cried. Even still, people can feel better after crying one time and worse another time and that it is completely normal. Crying and the impacts it has on someone is very situational. What I mean by that is that the results of it really depend on the situation in most cases. Sometimes, perhaps in your case you can resist the urge to cry but as soon as that first tear traces down your cheek you just feel overwhelmed with emotions that you don't even feel like you can control and this makes you feel worse because you can't bring yourself back to how you were before. Perhaps this isn't the case with you either. The point I am trying to make is that everyone experiences different feelings after crying and I hope you don't feel like there's something wrong with you if you feel worse afterwords because it is actually more common than you'd think and entirely okay to feel. :)
sereneMoon86
May 5th, 2019 5:16am
Hmm. It may be because crying has opened the gate to other, deeper feelings of sadness. Or, it may be because you are rejecting the reality you are experiencing and wishing those feelings would go away. Do either of these sound possible? If so, I would practice leaning into those heavy, hard feelings. It’s the worst thing in the world, I know, but if you can continually let some of those heavy feelings out... you will, in time, feel some relief. It may also help to talk to your inner child. For me, I know that I need to talk to my inner child when I’m feeling extremely emotional and unable to control my feelings. I sit down and I close my eyes and I try to talk to her. I say things like, “What do you need to tell me?” “What do you need me to know?” “How are you feeling?” “What do you want?” And then I wait for an answer. It sounds crazy, but it works. There is always an answer. And then I talk to her like I would a friend. I tell her things like, “That totally makes sense.” “I understand why you feel that way. I feel that way too.” “I’m here for you and we’re going to figure this out together.” If you haven’t done this before, it’s worth a try. It will feel awkward and strange, but you’ll be amazed by what she or he will tell you
OceanRest
April 19th, 2019 6:06pm
I can think of two possible reasons. The one is that I think people sometimes try to keep things together and just cope and don't admit to themselves how bad they are feeling or give themselves a chance to relax and give in to their feelings. So once you do that and start crying, it's like you open that door and you allow yourself to feel and experience your feelings. Then afterwards, that door will not close immediately. There will be a time of feeling vulnerable and emotional and that is normal. The second reason is that crying can be a very intense experience for the body. It's both emotionally and physically exhausting to go through it. So part of the feeling bad afterwards might be because you are very tired and rightly so. The best thing to do is to pay extra attention to self care. Make yourself safe, create a safe space for yourself and surround yourself with comforting things until you find your feet again. Crying is a brave thing to do. Even if it's also hard. Don't let that stop you. And remember to be good to yourself afterwards.
Anonymous
March 16th, 2019 11:10am
In my experience, I'd feel terrible after crying when I dread how the situation at hand hasn't solved itself. If I was crying out of missing someone, or over a situation that has already happened and cannot be changed, I would usually feel better since the crying felt more like the closing scene to the problem - a mere act of releasing my pent up sadness or frustration about the past. But if it's about stress or some problem that is still manifesting, then I'd usually feel horrible because even after letting out my emotions, my first unanswerable thought would be, "what now?" Usually in these cases, self-care plays an enormous role in lifting my spirits. I'd take another bath and use really nice smelling soap, change into comfier clothes, make myself a cup of tea, put some slow gentle music. It's these small things that act as a routine to show how you respect yourself, and ultimately when you do things that comfort you, it's hard not to feel better. A lot of times though, the best cure is still to talk to someone you trust. In these cases, I usually seek out for my mother. :) Wishing you all the love. Do take care.
Dbluman2019
July 26th, 2018 4:26am
Depression is a horrible thing... sometimes... you have to be at your worst before you’re at your best...
Chynecheremsworld
July 19th, 2018 2:58am
Because crying never solves problems it makes you think so much about it instead of finding a solution
Anonymous
June 24th, 2018 1:36pm
we still feel worse bad after crying if the reason or the cause which made us cry is still same and its affecting us.. crying helps us a lot in relieving our emotions and it makes us feel lighter.. but if the the person causing or the activity that is causing the pain is still with us then we want to keep crying as we dont find anything working for us... crying release all our emotions at a time and our head feel lighter so we should not keep thinking about our problems later and try to focus on the positive and effective works.
officerli
June 17th, 2018 4:48pm
It probably depends of who you are. You could possibly feel guilty for being sad, whether it be because you don't think you have a right to be sad in comparison to the struggles of others, or you're realizing how much pain you are/have been holding in. Most people that I've met feel better after crying as it releases stored emotions. I think there's some kind of esteem issue/inferiority complex going on if you feel worse after crying.
Anonymous
June 16th, 2018 2:22am
It could be that when you're crying, you're letting yourself feel all those emotions like sadness, pain and anger, and it hits you all at once. But the important thing is that you let it all out responsibly and not keep those emotions bottled up until they make you do something you might regret.
ephemeralkidd
March 5th, 2017 2:37pm
It's completely normal to feel this way. Feeling worse could be due to crying in the first place. Crying can be messy, and is one of the rawest of emotions. It may also be that crying was not enough to fully release your emotions.
RumiCarter
July 16th, 2017 12:28pm
For some, crying can be a way of purging all of the negativity a sadness out. Once one has the physical embodiment in the tears, it's easy to feel that the emotion has drained from your eyes in the water. But sometimes crying doesn't help, and if you have been trying to hold your feelings inside, climactic crying can bring all of those negative emotions to the forefront of your thoughts.
LittleLemon96
September 3rd, 2016 9:32am
In general crying makes the heart pressure go down, physiologicaly so you are not supposed to feel worse, but maybe because you still need to cry more, the only way to know that you have calmed down and you are better is when you still think about the same bad thaing but you are able to not continue crying.
xPeacefulAngel
March 1st, 2020 10:26pm
After crying you might feel relieved, but you also might feel numb, angry, anxious or sad. Everyone's response to certain situations is different and it's okay and valid to respond the way you do. A reason why you might feel worse is also because crying is mentally very exhausting. It could help to eat something, drink some water or take a nap. You could also prefer to get a distraction. Like watching your favorite show or listening to some music. Some people recharge by talking to or seeing their friends. It takes time to find out what helps the best for you.
LadyJuh21
June 25th, 2020 8:06pm
Well, I don't know why are you crying, but maybe you feel that cry it's like showing that you are weak... it can happen in an unconscious level. But it's nothing wrong with it! Actually crying can be a healthy way to show that you are sad or angry considering that you are not harming anyone including yourself, it's a valid scape to your emotions. The idea that crying is wrong or a lack of strength it's a completely mistake, the key it's not to hide our feelings but dealing with them in a proper way. Try to figure out what are your thoughts while you're crying be aware of them to be able to change it if it's necessary.
Aly95
June 5th, 2020 5:12am
I totally understand how one can feel worse after crying. I used to struggle with crying and expressing my emotions in general. I thought it was a sign of weakness. But I have learned that it is quite the opposite. Allowing yourself to cry is a sign of strength and growth. Instead of being upset or anxious after a good cry, try looking back on your fallen tears in a positive way. Think to yourself, "Wow, I am so happy I let all of that out". I know such a thing can be difficult, but be proud of your tears!! They are something to celebrate.
Anonymous
May 20th, 2020 6:46pm
Sometimes I feel worse after crying because all of the negative, sad, or mad feelings that I had harbored are now free. For me personally when it's usually a result of a load of feelings that I've had from some time that are finally being released. This is a scary time for me because I tend to run away from sad or negative feelings. When I cry it creates the reality of how I truly feel which can either make me more sad, scared, or disappointed. It's hard to see positivity in crying but many believe its better to get the feelings out then to let them stay in.
fortunecat888
May 6th, 2020 11:01pm
Crying can really provoke you to a place in your emotions that you don't typically dwell in. A place that allows you to really dive into the root cause of your pain. Sometimes, the answer is not what we want to hear: it's a lot to process, and it's extremely personal. Often times, it may even make us feel too aware of our faults - the mistakes we've made, the guilt we hold, and beyond. But sometimes, it's where we need to start to be able to effectively rebuild ourselves. The first step to healing from anything bad experience is to acknowledge - and crying can bring us to a point to do just that.
marieladlpm
March 26th, 2020 3:48am
Feeling worse after crying is completely normal, you just finished letting go all the weight you had inside yourself, and after crying it can make you feel exhausted, drained, or even worse, but after some time you will start to feel better! I see problems and myself like a bottle of water im the bottle of water or the glass of water, and every time I face a problem its like they just added water to my glass/bottle and when there's just to much water and I can't hold more water anymore, the water overflows the glass/bottle and I represent this by crying, and after crying, I feel drained and empty and it will take some time for the bottle to be the same and look good!
comfortingRabbit47
March 25th, 2020 5:51pm
It could mean that you have not yet resolved your immediate emotional distress concern. Usually, crying allows your body to release stress and lowers blood pressure. In this case, it could be that you are far too overwhelmed to the point that crying is just an emergency outlet. Do not worry; you are not alone. One recommendation is that after crying, you should seek a listening ear (for example, talk to one of the beautiful listeners in 7cups!). Because once you finished crying, you will be much more clear-headed to think about your problem more reasonably. And you will be on your way to recovery.
bellarina74
March 25th, 2020 9:48am
Whilst crying is a great outlet, it can be exhausting. There are wave, upon wave, upon wave of emotion happening and trying to get your emotions in sync proves troublesome. Crying brings the real issues out and to the surface so we can deal with the problems. Prioritising these problems is the next step and working out what is the most important to be dealt with. By prioritising the problems we can get a sense of relief as the heavier issues are dealt with and taken off our plates. This reduces our stress immensely and our sense of worry can subside.
Anonymous
March 18th, 2020 6:01pm
Maybe your body is trying to tell you or hint to you that you need other coping mechanisms to deal with problems. For example, you can cry but add something else with it like journal about your negative thoughts as they happen, distracting yourself with TV shows/movies, listening to music, making a song, etc. I find siphoning out darkness in multiples makes problems easier to deal with. I personally get sick sometimes after I cry. It's better to let it out than to keep it in since you are using more muscles to keep it inside and cause greater harm down the road. Perhaps the tears are giving you skin irritation or sickness, then talk to your doctor and get some eye drops. Maybe if you wash your face you might feel better. Try to pair the crying with something positive (like taking a shower or journal), that way the next time you cry, you might not feel as worse as you did last time.
organticDaisy71
September 24th, 2016 10:43am
It could dry out your throat and make your head hurt. Some experience guilt after crying in fear that they're weak when they really aren't.
Redtiger01
September 16th, 2016 9:19pm
I feel worse after crying because crying makes me feel weak and I should not be weak. But in reality, no one can ever really be never weak and sometimes vulnerability is important so that we don't go crazy.
Kat140615xx
September 18th, 2016 3:13pm
Because you let all the emotions out, your body feels drained therefore speak to one of us listeners we can helpx
Anonymous
October 23rd, 2019 11:20pm
Well, it could be that in our culture/society that we are often taught that crying is a sign of weakness. especially for men. Maybe after you cry, you might be feeling as if you have done something wrong or shameful? Is it possible that you might even feel like you will be punished for crying? I know when I was a child, my parents would often tell me I had nothing to cry about, which made me feel awful. But crying can be very healing both emotionally and physically. Your feelings are very real, and its Ok to not feel Okay.
Kenai
September 30th, 2016 4:19am
Maybe you feel guilty for crying? If so you definitely shouldn't. Crying is a normal, healthy thing for humans to do. In fact some studies show that crying releases hormones that can make you feel better. Allowing yourself to cry without judgement might actually make you feel better!