Tears

I think the lecturers and staff in my course should win an award for making the most students cry. I don't know if it's just this program, or if it's the Australian education system in general, but I've seen more of my classmates cry in the last 2 years because of school than I have in my whole life before this. Personally, I'm normally not that emotional but I've been brought to tears once in class and another couple times outside of class out of frustration. For me, I think the specific incidents are more like the straw that breaks a camel's back. The pressure that's placed, having to take in so much in so little time and being given so little room for error just adds up. It'd be nice to have a bit of positive feedback once in awhile. I feel like they focus so much on telling us what is it we need to know, the level of knowledge we should be at, that they end up neglecting to teach it to us. We're somehow supposed to look it up and learn it all on our own. It also makes me angry to hear of supervisors who have told classmates that they'd never be a good physio, that they don't have what it takes. You would think and hope that people in their position would be giving encouragement and constructive feedback instead of bringing people down. They frown upon a lack of confidence, yet sometimes all a student needs is someone to believe in them before they shine. What is wrong with not being confident when you don't really feel like you know how to do something? Are we all supposed to put on a face and act like we know everything?

Unfortunately, there were quite a number of people who were crying after the prac exams on Tuesday, which made me think about the purpose of tears and the reason for crying. I know socially, many people see it as a sign of 'weakness' and try to "hold back the tears", especially for guys, but I think sometimes it's healthier to just let it out. I thought I'd share what I've found out.

Types of Tears:
1. Basal Tears - Lubricates the eye, helps keep it clear of dust. Some substances in this also help to fight against bacterial infection.
2. Reflex Tears - Results from irritation to the eye by a foreign particles or substances, such as onions/tear gas. They act as an attempt from the body to wash out the irritants.
3. Crying or Weeping - Increased lacrimation due to strong emotional stress, depression, or physical pain.

According to research by William H. Frey, the chemical make up of tears from crying/weeping is different from tears due to irritants. He found that tears brought on by crying contained more protein based hormones, such as prolactin and leucine enkephalin, which are produced by the body more under stress, than reflex tears. It appears that crying helps the body release these stress hormones, and thus makes a person feel better. Of course, the finer mechanisms of crying are more complex than this, but hey it's some proof of the benefits of crying.