Op-Comic: How crying is actually good for you

By Pepita Sandwich

April 27, 2024 3 AM PT

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I have always cried a lot. My mom says from the minute I was born til I turned 9. Crying all the time makes me self-conscious

For years, I wanted to control my crying: I'd do anything to prevent tears running down my face. I used to feel embarrassed.

Darwin once declared emotional tears "purposeless". Crying in public remains largely taboo. Why? What does it mean if we cry?

Research has found on top of being self-soothing, shedding tears releases oxytocin and endorphins, which make you feel good.

A few years ago I moved from Buenos Aires to New York City. I decided to start my "crying diaries."

Crying is a beautiful form of bodily expression. We cry because we need other people, we feel emotions deeply, we're alive.

Pepita Sandwich is an artist, illustrator and author of the forthcoming book “The Art of Crying,” from which this op-comic is adapted.

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