What Does It Mean When You Cry For No Reason?
Many of us have quite likely been there at one point or another. There you are, going about your day, and everything seems to be going well. Then, out of nowhere, the urge to cry overwhelms you even though nothing happened to trigger your tears.
This can be unsettling, not to mention inconvenient if it happens when you are out in public. What does it mean when you cry for seemingly no reason? Is it the symptom of an underlying problem? If you're crying for no reason, should you make an appointment with your doctor?
Crying for no reason could be a symptom of depression
Crying for no reason can be the result of several factors. According to WebMD, in some cases, crying for seemingly no reason at all can be a symptom of depression, as can crying over something you wouldn't normally cry over.
If you regularly find yourself crying for no reason, look for other symptoms that may indicate you have depression. "So, if you're feeling hopeless, helpless, sad, and tearful, you get no joy from day-to-day life, you've noticed that you've lost your appetite, or maybe you're eating a lot, you're not sleeping well and you're tearful all the time for not any acute, new reason, that's very likely to be depression and some kind of intervention is indicated," Dr. Kirtly Parker Jones told The Scope.
If you're crying for no reason you should see a doctor
According to Healthline, women tend to cry more than men. It's theorized that this is because of hormones, as women tend to have more prolactin, which might promote crying. A crying spell might indicate that your hormone levels are fluctuating, and these levels can be affected by any number of things, including how much sleep you're getting, stress levels, and medication.
Another thing that may be causing you to cry for no reason is pregnancy. Thanks to all the changes your body is going through while pregnant, people expecting a baby are more likely to shed tears out of nowhere. A lack of sleep may also make you more prone to tears.
While one incident of crying for no reason could be chalked up to a lack of sleep, if you continue to find yourself crying out of the blue on a regular basis, it's a good idea to make an appointment with your doctor.