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Signs

Causes

Effects

Treatment

Coping

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Have you ever experienced episodes of uncontrollable crying? It may feel like you’re crying for no reason, and you can’t seem to stop. If so, you might feel worried about why you are crying and unable to control it.

While uncontrollable crying can be a symptom of some mental health disorders, it can also be a sign of an underlying neurological issue. As a result, your treatment options and coping strategies will differ depending on the cause.

Signs of Uncontrollable Crying

Are you unsure whether your uncontrollable crying is normal or a problem? Have a look at this list of signs that something might be wrong or more than just normal tears:

What to Know About Crying During Meditation

Why You May Be Crying Uncontrollably

If you frequently cry for no apparent reason, you have nothing to be ashamed of. It is not a sign of weakness or moral failure. It could simply mean you’re dealing with an underlying physical or mental health condition. Here are some of the most common explanations behind your uncontrollable crying.

Neurological Causes

If you find yourself uncontrollably crying during a happy event or laughing hysterically during a sad event, you may have a condition calledpseudobulbar affect(PBA).

Many people with PBA are unaware that they have a real condition and rarely tell a doctor about their symptoms (so they don’t receive treatment). Doctors also don’t usually screen for PBA because many don’t know about it. However, the condition has been documented for over 100 years.

Almost 2 million people in the U.S. know they have PBA. Many cases go undiagnosed, so the actual number may be as high as 7 million.

There are different theories about which brain structures are involved in PBA. One theory is that there is damage to the cerebro-ponto-cerebellar pathways, which adjust laughter or crying to match the situation. Another theory is that there is damage to pathways in motor areas of the cerebral cortex that inhibit laughter and crying.

Fun Fact

Mental Health Causes

Frequently crying for no reason may also be a sign of a mental health issue. Crying can be a symptom of various forms of grief. Acute grief resulting from a situation such as the loss of a loved one is one type. In addition, there is chronic grief, usually related to an ongoing situation in your life (e.g., infertility).

In general, crying that is part of grief is only treated if it is considered part of a depressive disorder or is significantly disruptive to one’s functioning.

Major depression and bipolar depression also involve crying; however, it has other features such as sleep issues, lack of enjoyment of usual activities, and appetite changes. PBA is sometimes alsomistaken for depression. One way to distinguish them is based on the trigger; PBA seems to lack a trigger or be triggered in inappropriate ways.

Hormones

Fluctuations in hormones can also influence emotional reactions and uncontrollable crying. This may occur naturally in the case of pregnancy and menstruation, with more severe episodes in an underlying condition known aspremenstrual dysphoric disorder(PMDD).

Effects of Uncontrollable Crying

Uncontrollable crying can have negative effects on your life. Below are some of the things you might experience:

Treating Uncontrollable Crying

The treatments for uncontrollable crying depend on the underlying cause. Complicated grief and depression are usually treated with therapy and/or medication.

PBA may be treated with low doses of tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as citalopram or fluoxetine.

This drug contains the active ingredientdextromethorphan, which is found in many cough syrups; however, you can’t self-medicate with cough syrup, as it has a different formulation.

An occupational therapist can also help people with PBA learn how to cope in everyday life.

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Coping With Uncontrollable Crying

There are also several things you can do on your own to cope with uncontrollable crying that is interfering with your life. Below are some ideas:

Final Thoughts

If you are living with uncontrollable crying that is interfering with your daily life, it’s important to seek answers from your doctor. We usually think of mood disorders when it comes to crying spells, but some neurological conditions are also a concern. You may be living with neurologic conditions, such as PBA, stroke, brain tumor, and so on.

On the other hand, if you have grief that is adversely impacting your life or a depressive disorder, medication or therapy may help. Regardless of the cause, your doctor will be able to prescribe the best course of action.

Learn More About Neurological Disorders

4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Work SS, Colamonico JA, Bradley WG, Kaye RE.Pseudobulbar affect: An under-recognized and under-treated neurological disorder.Adv Ther. 2011;28(7):586-601. doi:10.1007/s12325-011-0031-3Skryabin VY.AnalysingJoker: An attempt to establish diagnosis for a film icon.BJPsych Bull. 2021;45(6):329-332. doi:10.1192%2Fbjb.2020.146Johns Hopkins Medicine.Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Nuedexta label.

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Work SS, Colamonico JA, Bradley WG, Kaye RE.Pseudobulbar affect: An under-recognized and under-treated neurological disorder.Adv Ther. 2011;28(7):586-601. doi:10.1007/s12325-011-0031-3Skryabin VY.AnalysingJoker: An attempt to establish diagnosis for a film icon.BJPsych Bull. 2021;45(6):329-332. doi:10.1192%2Fbjb.2020.146Johns Hopkins Medicine.Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Nuedexta label.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Work SS, Colamonico JA, Bradley WG, Kaye RE.Pseudobulbar affect: An under-recognized and under-treated neurological disorder.Adv Ther. 2011;28(7):586-601. doi:10.1007/s12325-011-0031-3Skryabin VY.AnalysingJoker: An attempt to establish diagnosis for a film icon.BJPsych Bull. 2021;45(6):329-332. doi:10.1192%2Fbjb.2020.146Johns Hopkins Medicine.Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Nuedexta label.

Work SS, Colamonico JA, Bradley WG, Kaye RE.Pseudobulbar affect: An under-recognized and under-treated neurological disorder.Adv Ther. 2011;28(7):586-601. doi:10.1007/s12325-011-0031-3

Skryabin VY.AnalysingJoker: An attempt to establish diagnosis for a film icon.BJPsych Bull. 2021;45(6):329-332. doi:10.1192%2Fbjb.2020.146

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Nuedexta label.

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