Is it normal for people to cry during therapy, or is it just me?
Yes, it is very normal. Some people cry frequently, but not fully. Theyre good at crying but never seem to heal from whats hurting them.Crying is supposed to be good for you. Tears contain toxins, after all. And feel-good chemicals are released in the body whenever we cry tears of sadness.Never judge your feelings while youre having them; theres always a reason somethings a big deal to you.Cry for your own pain, not just for others. Crying in movies and when listening to sad songs is a good way to let off some built-up emotion. But you may not be dealing directly with your own hurts when that happens. Remember its okay to cry for yourself.Let yourself cry over spilt milk. You dont have to wait till somebody dies. You can cry about anything that triggers you, no matter how seemingly trivial.Dont set a time limit on tears. Your heart will decide when enough is enough. If you connect with the true source of your pain, youll find its finite. But you dont get to dictate a time limit for your sorrow. Be patient.Pick up where you left off. If you have to keep a stiff upper lip, perhaps because youre at work, check in with yourself later and see how you feel. Reflect on the incident in private if you feel its unresolved. Dontstressout if you cant recapture the pain. Tears are like cats: You cant lead them on a leash.Speak only kind words to yourself. When you cry, watch for self-critical and invalidatingself-talklike this:Its not that big a dealIm too sensitiveBig boys/girls dont cryInstead, say, Im sorry and Im with you and I love you. Dont say these things in order to make yourself stop crying. Say them in order to be compassionate to yourself.Cry in public. If youve never cried in public before, you may be surprised to find that many people will be drawn to you. Your tears make you vulnerable, and therefore no threat to others. Kindness is a frequent response to public tears.If you remember just one thing from this post, let it beself-compassion.