Does Crying Release Stored Trauma? What Science and Somatics Say

Most of us have felt it before: that deep exhale after a good cry. The relief that comes when tears finally break through a wall of tension we didn’t know we were holding. You might even say afterward, “I just needed that.”

But what exactly is happening in those moments? Can crying really release stored trauma—or does it simply make us feel better for a while?

This question bridges neuroscience, psychology, and the body-based wisdom of somatic therapy. To understand it, we have to look at what trauma actually does in the body—and how crying fits into the nervous system’s natural process of regulation and repair.

Tears can mark a turning point—the body’s natural way of softening after stress and moving toward healing.

What “Stored Trauma” Really Means

The phrase stored trauma is often used to describe the way the body holds onto experiences that were too overwhelming to process at the time they occurred. From a somatic perspective, trauma isn’t just what happened to us—it’s what happened inside of us in response to what happened.

When an experience exceeds our capacity to cope, our nervous system activates intense protective responses—fight, flight, freeze, or collapse. If we’re unable to move through those responses safely, that unfinished survival energy can stay trapped in the body.

This isn’t metaphorical. Research in psychoneuroimmunology and trauma physiology shows that unprocessed stress responses can affect muscle tone, hormone regulation, digestion, immunity, and emotional regulation. Over time, the body learns to live in chronic defense.

Crying as a Nervous System Release

Crying is one of the body’s built-in release mechanisms. It’s not a sign of weakness—it’s a biological function of regulation. Emotional tears contain stress hormones like cortisol, and studies suggest that crying activates the parasympathetic nervous system—the branch responsible for rest, digestion, and recovery.

Recent research from Harvard Health on the benefits of crying suggests that tears play an important role in emotional regulation and stress recovery.

From a somatic therapy lens, crying can signal that the body is finally coming down from a stress state. It’s a movement from activation to discharge—a sign that your system feels safe enough to soften.

But does this mean that crying automatically releases trauma? Not necessarily. Crying can be part of a trauma release process, but only when the underlying emotional and physiological patterns are safely accessed and integrated.

The Polyvagal Map: Why Safety Matters

To understand why crying sometimes heals and other times just replays old pain, we can turn to Polyvagal Theory, developed by neuroscientist Stephen Porges. This theory maps how our autonomic nervous system—the system that controls unconscious bodily functions—shifts between states of safety, mobilization, and shutdown.

• Ventral Vagal State (Safety and Connection): When we feel safe and connected, our social engagement system is online. Tears here can be restorative—a softening that happens when the body finally feels supported enough to let go.

• Sympathetic State (Fight or Flight): When we feel threatened or agitated, crying might arise from overwhelm. These tears can be more charged—shaking, sobbing, and gasping as the system tries to discharge high energy.

• Dorsal Vagal State (Freeze or Collapse): In this state, tears might feel numb or detached. The body is shut down, and crying doesn’t bring relief because the system is still stuck in immobilization.

Crying releases trauma only when the nervous system is moving toward regulation—not deeper into shutdown or chaos. The difference lies in whether the body feels safe enough to complete what was once interrupted.

Crying as a Completion of the Stress Cycle

Trauma can be seen as incomplete action—the body’s attempt to protect itself that never finished. Crying, shaking, trembling, or deep sighing are all ways the body completes that action.

When we cry in a safe, supported space, we may be allowing those physiological cycles to resolve. The tears themselves aren’t magic—they’re a sign that something deeper is moving through.

Think of it like a pressure valve. Crying doesn’t erase the trauma memory, but it releases the physiological charge associated with it. Over time, this helps the nervous system recalibrate from chronic defense into greater balance and connection.

Moments of emotional overwhelm can be part of the body’s attempt to release stored stress and move toward healing.

The Role of Somatic Awareness

In somatic therapy, crying is often viewed as one part of a larger process called titration—the gradual release of held energy without overwhelming the system.

When a client begins to cry, a trauma-informed therapist won’t rush to stop it or interpret it as a breakthrough. Instead, they’ll help the person stay with the physical sensations of crying:

• Where do you feel it in your body?

• What happens when you breathe into that area?

• What emotions or images arise with the tears?

By bringing awareness to the body as it releases, we strengthen the mind-body connection that trauma once disrupted. This allows the nervous system to learn, “I can feel and stay safe at the same time.”

That’s the real healing moment—not the tear itself, but the felt sense of safety in feeling.

When Crying Isn’t Healing

Not all crying is restorative. Sometimes tears are part of a re-traumatizing loop—a sign that we’re reliving old pain without enough safety or support to integrate it.

If crying leaves you feeling more dissociated, flooded, or empty, it may mean that the nervous system is dipping back into survival states rather than resolving them.

This doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. It means the system needs more containment. Somatic therapies, mindfulness, or grounding techniques can help regulate your window of tolerance so that crying happens within a manageable range.

Healing isn’t about forcing release—it’s about building enough capacity to let the body unfold naturally.

Learn more about creating containment through somatic awareness practices in my post on 7 Steps to Healing Trauma.

What Science Says About Crying and Trauma

Modern research supports what somatic practitioners have observed for decades: crying can have measurable physiological benefits. For example, a recent study suggests that those who cry during emotional stimuli tend to recover faster and show lower cortisol post-stress.

• Parasympathetic activation: Crying stimulates the vagus nerve, which slows heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and promotes calm after stress.

• Endorphin release: Emotional crying can increase endorphins and oxytocin, chemicals that foster relaxation and bonding.

• Hormonal balance: Tears can help remove stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline from the body.

• Social regulation: Crying signals vulnerability and elicits care from others, strengthening attachment and co-regulation—essential ingredients for trauma recovery.

While crying alone doesn’t “clear” trauma, it can reset the nervous system enough to make deeper trauma work more accessible. In this way, tears become a doorway, not a destination.

Somatic Practices to Support Emotional Release

If you sense that crying is close but hard to access—or if it comes in overwhelming waves—there are ways to support your system safely.

1. Ground first.
Before inviting emotional release, orient to your environment. Notice three things you can see, three things you can touch, and your breath moving in and out. Safety comes first.

2. Slow down the breath.
Gentle, rhythmic breathing activates the ventral vagal system and signals safety. Try exhaling slightly longer than you inhale.

3. Notice sensations, not stories.
Instead of analyzing why you feel sad, track the physical sensations—tightness, warmth, trembling. This keeps your focus in the body, where regulation happens.

4. Allow but don’t force.
Tears come when the body feels ready. You don’t need to chase them; you just need to listen.

5. Seek co-regulation.
Crying in the presence of someone safe—whether a therapist, friend, or partner—can deepen the healing. The social engagement system thrives on connection.

Crying in Therapy

It’s common to cry in therapy—sometimes unexpectedly. In a trauma-informed or somatic context, tears aren’t interruptions to be apologized for; they’re information.

Crying may indicate that the body trusts the space enough to soften. A skilled therapist helps you stay anchored while exploring what’s underneath—perhaps grief, fear, anger, or relief.

When the nervous system senses attunement and non-judgment, crying can serve as a bridge between emotional experience and physical release. Over time, this re-teaches the body that expression and safety can coexist.

When Crying Feels Stuck

For some people, the opposite problem arises—they can’t cry. This often indicates that the nervous system has learned to suppress expression to stay safe.

Research shows that emotional numbing is a core symptom of PTSD, and may drive emotional instability in those with significant trauma.

If you feel numb or disconnected, it doesn’t mean you’re broken. It means your body’s protective mechanisms are still online. Gentle somatic work can slowly thaw those frozen states without pushing past your capacity.

Sometimes, laughter, trembling, yawning, or sighing emerge first—other forms of release that pave the way for tears later. Crying is just one language of the body’s healing intelligence.

Integrating Tears into the Bigger Picture of Healing

Healing trauma is rarely about one single release—it’s about building an ongoing relationship with your body. Crying can be a doorway into that relationship, but what transforms trauma is consistent regulation, integration, and compassion.

In somatic therapy, we focus on helping the body rediscover safety. As the nervous system stabilizes, emotional expression becomes less overwhelming and more fluid. Tears, laughter, and even stillness all become signs of integration rather than breakdown.

A Compassionate Perspective

If you’ve found yourself crying a lot on your healing journey, know that nothing is wrong with you. Your body is trying to recalibrate.

Each tear represents a moment when your nervous system trusts that it’s safe enough to feel again. Crying doesn’t erase the past, but it helps unwind the tension that trauma leaves behind.

In the language of Polyvagal Theory, crying is one way the ventral vagal system comes back online—restoring connection, compassion, and the capacity for joy.

Healing isn’t about never crying again. It’s about knowing that when you do, you’re safe to come back home to yourself.

Ready to Explore Somatic Healing in Your Own Life?

If you’re curious about how somatic therapy can help you release long-held tension and reconnect with your body’s natural wisdom, I’d be honored to support you. At Aster Therapy, I help clients gently access safety in the nervous system through body-based trauma therapy, mindfulness, and Internal Family Systems.

You don’t have to navigate your healing alone—and you don’t have to force your way to release. Together, we can help your body remember how to feel safe again.