If you cannot stop crying, it may be because your emotions have become difficult to contain, particularly when you have been dealing with stress, sadness, anxiety, grief or simply too much for too long.
Sometimes the tears arrive at the most inconvenient moment. You might be crying in the car, suddenly tearful at work or finding yourself overwhelmed by something that normally would not affect you so strongly. You may even wonder, “Why am I crying so much when nothing particularly bad has happened?”
The truth is, crying does not always have one obvious cause. Our emotions are complicated and sometimes your tears are your body’s way of expressing something that you have not yet been able to put into words.
Is It Normal To Cry A Lot?
It can be! Crying is a completely normal human emotional response and there is a huge amount of variation in how often people cry.
A 2026 poll found that 71% of British women and 30% of British men said they had cried in the previous month. This does not mean that one amount of crying is “normal” and another is not. People respond to emotions differently and your own circumstances can have a big influence.
You may also find that you cry more when you are tired, stressed or feeling emotionally stretched. Sometimes something quite small can be the final trigger after a difficult few weeks or months.
Could Stress Be Making Me Cry?
Yes! When you have been keeping everything together, there may come a point where your emotions simply need somewhere to go.
Perhaps you have been managing pressure at work, looking after other people, dealing with relationship difficulties or worrying about the future. You might tell yourself that you are coping because you are still getting up, going to work and doing everything you normally do. However, coping does not necessarily mean that you feel okay.
Why Do I Cry When I Don’t Know What’s Wrong?
This can be particularly confusing. You might genuinely not know why you are crying. That does not mean there is no reason. Emotions can build gradually, while our conscious understanding of them sometimes takes longer.
For example, you may have been pushing away sadness because you have not had time to deal with it. You may be anxious about something but have become so used to worrying that it feels completely normal. You may also be grieving a change in your life that you did not realise had affected you so deeply.
There can also be moments when crying itself feels frightening because you cannot immediately make it stop. Try not to judge yourself for this. Fighting the tears and telling yourself that you “shouldn’t” be emotional can sometimes add another layer of distress.
Does Crying Mean I Am Depressed?
Not necessarily. Crying on its own does not tell us what someone is experiencing psychologically.
However, if you are crying frequently alongside persistent low mood, loss of interest in things you normally enjoy, changes in sleep or appetite, anxiety, hopelessness, difficulty concentrating or struggling to manage everyday life, it may be worth talking to someone about how you are feeling.
You do not have to wait until things become unbearable before asking for support. In fact, therapy can be useful precisely because it gives you somewhere to talk before everything feels completely overwhelming.
What Can I Do When I Feel Like I Can’t Stop Crying?
First, try to give yourself a little space rather than immediately trying to shut the emotion down. Take a few slow breaths and if possible, move somewhere you feel comfortable. You could ask yourself a simple question such as, “What has been going on for me recently?” rather than “What is wrong with me?”
Sometimes the answer will be obvious. Sometimes it will not.
Talking to somebody you trust can also help. You do not need to have a perfectly explained reason for feeling upset before you are allowed to ask for support.
If the crying is becoming frequent, affecting your relationships or work, or leaving you feeling frightened and unable to cope, speaking to a psychologist can help you understand what is underneath it.
How Can The Oak Tree Practice Help?
At The Oak Tree Practice, we understand that people do not always arrive at therapy knowing exactly what they need help with. You might simply know that you feel overwhelmed, emotional, anxious or unlike yourself.
Our psychologists can provide a safe and non-judgemental space to explore what you are experiencing and help you make sense of your thoughts and feelings. Depending on your individual needs, therapy may include approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or Compassion Focused Therapy.
The Oak Tree Practice offers therapy in-person at clinics across London, Liverpool and in Leeds, as well as online therapy via Zoom across the UK and beyond. You do not need to have everything figured out before you get in touch. Sometimes, simply having someone to listen and help you understand what is happening can be a very good place to start!
