I Cannot Cry Anymore…

Reasons why you can’t cry

Ashik Venkat
Counter Arts
3 min readJun 8, 2023

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image: unsplash.com/photos/kFVmYjK6hZ8 by whoislimos

Tears are a powerful way of letting feelings out that have been suppressed; they offer a cathartic release that may be both relieving and healing. But sometimes in life we find ourselves unable to cry, as if the tears that were previously flowing freely had stopped. We may be left wondering why we are unable to cry those healing tears any longer, which can be a perplexing and upsetting experience.

Crying is one of the most obvious and tactile ways we can communicate our emotions, and it is a vital aspect of the human experience. It enables us to let go of negative emotions like sadness, grief, annoyance, and even delight. Why then does it seem like we occasionally lack the ability to cry?

Emotional numbness is one reason this alteration might have occurred. Our emotional health can suffer as a result of the hardships and tragedies of life, leaving us exhausted and on alert. It’s possible that we’ve gone through such severe suffering or loss that our mind and body automatically create emotional barriers to protect ourselves. These barriers can prevent us from properly expressing our emotions, including crying, even when they initially act as protective defences.

Social conditioning and cultural factors come into play. Crying is still regarded as a sign of vulnerability or weakness in many countries. We could have learned early on to hold back our tears, put on a strong face, and hide our feelings. We may find it challenging to access our vulnerability and allow ourselves to cry freely as a result of this training over time.

Trauma. Additionally, our capacity for crying may be impacted by unresolved emotional trauma or pain. Sometimes internalised wounds or unresolved sadness form a barrier that keeps us from crying. It could be difficult to access and honestly express our feelings since we’ve established coping methods to bury them deep inside.

It is crucial to understand that crying does not necessarily signify a person has strong feelings or a depth of emotion. It serves as a reminder that healing work needs to be done. Understanding and processing our feelings, allowing ourselves to be open and vulnerable, and developing self-compassion are all steps in the healing process.

By providing a location that is safe for emotional expression, we can start the process of recovering our ability to cry. Finding encouraging people who understand our feelings and offer a safe space for us to be vulnerable might help with this. Journaling, counselling, or mindfulness exercises can all assist us in connecting with our emotions and letting go of any emotional baggage.

In this process, it is crucial that we are kind and patient with ourselves. Relearning how to communicate our feelings may take practise and introspection, and healing takes time. Even if tears don’t come right away, we must give ourselves permission to feel and recognise our feelings. Remember that each person’s timing for emotional healing is distinct because it is a deeply personal journey.

It is vital to ask for help when necessary as we traverse the complexity of our emotional terrain. Professional counsellors or therapists can provide direction and skills to help us work through our emotional barriers and find our capacity to express our feelings freely.

Finally, the inability to cry any more could be a result of social conditioning, unresolved sorrow, or emotional numbness. A path of healing, self-discovery, and emotional expression is being invited. By creating a safe space for vulnerability, seeking support, and practicing self-compassion, we can begin to unravel the emotional knots within us and rediscover the power of tears as a healing force. To recapture our emotional authenticity and acknowledge the transformational potential of emotional expression, keep in mind that it is never too late.

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Ashik Venkat
Counter Arts

Author, Survivor, Creator, Human like everybody in here 😉 http://rb.gy/7pt40