| Question: | | | | controlled by your subconscious brain. But these |
| Is there a way of treating excessive crying? I believe | | | | automatic responses can be triggered voluntarily, too: |
| the condition must be influenced by a genetic | | | | think of actors on state going chalky with fear or |
| disposition in our family, as my sister and I have | | | | beetroot red. They are tapping into their personal |
| suffered from this all our lives. My daughter has also | | | | experiences stored in the subconscious brain and |
| been prone to it since birth. She has just started at | | | | releasing the impulses that trigger these responses. |
| university and is very homesick, so she finds her | | | | Breathing is also an involuntary act but we can |
| tears especially difficult to control. Any suggestions | | | | control it using the conscious brain, such as when we |
| would be most welcome. | | | | hold our breath. People who meditate regularly |
| Answer: | | | | develop powers to control their physical responses, |
| I know of a similar situation with a mother and her | | | | so that they can sleep on a bed of nails or walk over |
| daughters who cry at the slightest emotional | | | | hot coals. So I hope you can see that by training |
| stimulation. Sometimes, when they're together and | | | | your mind, you can control the subconscious or |
| there is bad news or even a sad scene in a movie, | | | | involuntary functions. |
| they all break down in tears. Your question about the | | | | In the case of your daughter, at the moment her |
| possibility of a family link is very interesting. | | | | tears are caused by grief and sadness. She needs to |
| It's widely accepted that psychological disorders, | | | | learn a technique for controlling this outpouring by |
| including depression and addictive or manic behaviour, | | | | switching emotions. The antidote for sadness is |
| may have a strong genetic link. However, we can't | | | | laughter or rate. So I suggest you pass on this |
| solely blame genetics, as it's clear that most | | | | advice: whenever you feel you are about to cry, |
| emotional disorders only materialise because of | | | | stand in front of a mirror, and fake laughter or rage, |
| environmental factors. So the child of an alcoholic | | | | whichever is easier. Keep your eyes wide open to |
| parent - or parents - may carry a gene that | | | | note the changes on your face. |
| predisposes them to the condition, but they will only | | | | The other alternative is to hold your breath. Take a |
| manifest it if they drink alcohol. | | | | deep breath in and hold it for l5 to 20 seconds. Just |
| Extensive research links psychological disorders with | | | | when you think you'll run out of breath, exhale gently |
| neurotransmitters in the brain such as serotonin and | | | | and take a shallow half breath in. Hold that for ten |
| dopamine. In the same way that power cables have | | | | seconds. With practice this becomes easly, so don't |
| transformers to boost the electrical signal, nerve | | | | panic if it's hard at first. Holding the breath is also |
| fibres have junction boxes called synapses that | | | | good for controlling hiccups and sneezing. Although it |
| boost electrical impulses through the action of | | | | is folk remedial practice, there is now a scientific |
| chemicals called neurotransmitters. If you don't have | | | | explanation. Holding your breath retains carbon dioxide |
| enough of these chemicals, the nerves can't function | | | | in the blood, which is exchanged for oxygen. This |
| properly. This is the main cause of low moods or | | | | results in more oxygen in the brain, which means that |
| depression. Conversely, if the production is too high, | | | | the control systems there will work better. Holding |
| it triggers an agitated or manic state. I suspect that | | | | your breath also exercises your control over the |
| the genetic vulnerability is expressed through the | | | | subconscious brain. |
| under- or over-activity of neurotransmitters. | | | | Additionally, I suggest avoiding the consumption of |
| Crying is the physical expression of a range of | | | | common nerve irritants, such as coffee, alcohol, spicy |
| different emotions that trigger the tear ducts to | | | | foods, as well as too much sugar or salt. |
| produce tears. As well as sad tears - from grief | | | | Professional therapies such as counselling cognitive |
| sadness or depression - you can have tears of joy, | | | | therapy, neurolinguistic programming (NLP) and |
| rage, passion, anger or fear. The crying mechanism is | | | | hypnotherapy are also very useful tools. The earlier |
| usually an involuntary function - similar to your heart | | | | the condition is treated, the better the results. |
| beating or body sweating for example - that is | | | | |