Hurricane's & Heartbreak

🌀 "She's alive!" He said and burst into floods of tears and then he apologised for crying??? "No, no, no … no apology please" I said. 

Crying is not just a reaction, but a critical biological process. 

When a catastrophic event like Hurricane Melissa strikes, the damage extends far beyond physical landscapes, for the psychological stress generated by the threat, uncertainty, loss and displacement literally floods the human system, making emotional crying a crucial part of the recovery process.

Natural disasters are supreme stressors that overwhelm the human body’s ability to maintain balance (homeostasis). Crying literally serves as the body’s emergency relief valve, flushing stress hormones and then calming the nervous system to increase pain tolerance.

You see emotional tears are chemically different. They contain higher concentrations of stress hormones, and crying is a mechanism to expel those toxic compounds that have built up from the fear and anxiety, to reduce stress. Then after a good cry, that deep, rhythmic breathing and those bodily muscle movements activate soothing Somehow you feel better for the good cry right even though nothing has actually changed. Why? Because it has increased levels of oxytocin and endorphins, the chemicals are vital in a disaster context, promoting calmness and increasing pain tolerance to help us humans begin the daunting task of recovery. 

Sharing the tears, (in IRL or through media) bypasses language barriers and is a clear signal to any human being on the planet for an urgent need for connection. Tears immediately draw attention and solicit an empathetic response because tears are a non-verbal sign of acute distress, so while they accelerate healing they are also a clear call to action for support from other humans.  

In short, please don't apologise for crying, our tears are a human physiological process designed to regulate internal chemistry, restore nervous system balance, and harness the power of social support, all essential steps in moving from survival to resilience. The small gestures matter, connect, be human, be a support, be a listening ear, let the tears flow and have tissues to hand.