London - It’s often said that laughter is the best medicine. But a good cry may be just as uplifting.
A study found that those who wept while watching a film felt happier afterwards.
The researchers said this may be because crying changes the brain chemistry, releasing the feel-good chemical oxytocin.
Another possibility is that we make a concerted effort to cheer ourselves up after having a good cry.
Researcher Asmir Gracanin, of Tilburg University in the Netherlands, videoed 60 men and women as they watched two weepie movies. The tapes were analysed for the slightest sign of tears and the volunteers were also asked how they felt at the start and end of each film. The video tapes showed that the women were more likely to cry and cried more often.
But the most interesting findings come from the surveys of the volunteers’ moods. Those who didn’t cry said they felt no different after watching the films.
In contrast, those who shed a tear or two felt sadder than before. However, this dip in mood was brief and within 20 minutes of the film ending their mood had bounced back.
And by an hour or so after that, they felt better than ever, the journal Motivation and Emotion reports.
Daily Mail