Crying Shivers? Why You Get Cold & Shake When You Cry

Have you ever noticed how a good cry can leave you feeling… chilled? It’s more common than you think.

Many of us associate crying with emotional release, but what about the physical sensations that often accompany it? The shivers, the goosebumps, the sudden feeling of being cold – why do tears sometimes bring on the chills?

It’s a question that delves into the intricate connection between our minds and bodies.

The Crying-Shivers Connection: A Common Experience

Crying isn’t just an emotional outpouring; it’s a complex physiological event. While we often focus on the sadness or joy that triggers tears, the accompanying physical responses are equally significant. Experiencing shivers, feeling cold, and even shaking while crying are all surprisingly common.

These physical manifestations are not random occurrences. They are the result of a cascade of biological processes triggered by intense emotions. Understanding why these reactions happen can offer valuable insights into how our bodies cope with emotional stress.

Exploring the Physiological Response

This article will explore the physiological response behind the crying-shivers phenomenon. We’ll delve into the interplay of emotions, the autonomic nervous system, stress, anxiety, the hypothalamus, various hormones, and even thermoregulation to explain why you might experience these physical reactions.

It’s a journey into the science of crying, examining how our bodies react on a biological level when we’re emotionally overwhelmed.

This exploration will uncover the complex mechanisms that link our emotional state to our physical well-being. By understanding this connection, we can gain a better appreciation for the intricate workings of the human body and mind.

The exploration will uncover the complex mechanisms that link our emotional state to our physical well-being. By understanding this connection, we can gain a better appreciation for the full experience of crying and how our bodies process intense emotions. But to truly understand why those chills creep in, we need to look closer at what actually happens when we cry.

The Anatomy of a Cry: More Than Just Tears

Crying is often perceived as a simple act of shedding tears, but it’s a far more complex physiological event. It involves a symphony of physical processes, from the production of tears to the contortion of facial muscles and the emission of vocalizations.

Understanding these basic mechanics is crucial to grasping why you might experience shivers, chills, or shaking when you cry.

The Mechanics of Tears, Faces, and Sounds

Let’s dissect the key physical components of crying:

• Tear Production:
  There are three types of tears: basal, reflex, and emotional. Basal tears keep the eyes lubricated, reflex tears are produced in response to irritants, and emotional tears are triggered by intense emotions. These emotional tears contain different chemical compositions, including stress hormones, suggesting they play a role in emotional regulation.

• Facial Expressions:
  Crying isn’t just about the eyes; it involves the entire face. Muscles contract, brows furrow, and the mouth often contorts. These expressions are involuntary responses linked to the limbic system, the brain’s emotional center. These facial contortions can also contribute to feelings of tension and fatigue.

• Vocalizations:
  From whimpers to sobs to full-blown wails, vocalizations are another key component of crying. These sounds are produced by the movement of air through the vocal cords, often accompanied by irregular breathing patterns. The act of sobbing, with its gasping breaths, can disrupt the body’s natural rhythm and contribute to feelings of unease.

Emotions in Motion: Activating the Physiological Response

It’s not just the physical act of crying that matters; it’s the intense emotions that trigger the cascade of physiological responses. Sadness, grief, frustration, and even overwhelming joy can activate the nervous system and hormonal systems, setting off a chain reaction that leads to physical sensations.

These emotions act as signals, alerting the body that it needs to process something significant. This activation is not just mental; it’s deeply physical, impacting everything from heart rate to body temperature.

The Normality of Physical Sensations

It’s important to emphasize that experiencing physical sensations while crying is perfectly normal. Many people report feeling a range of responses, including:

• Shivers and chills
• Shaking or trembling
• Changes in body temperature (feeling hot or cold)
• Muscle tension
• Headaches

These sensations are not signs of weakness or abnormality. They are simply indicators that your body is processing intense emotions in a way that involves both your mind and your physical self.

Acknowledging the normality of these sensations can help reduce anxiety and self-consciousness surrounding crying. It allows individuals to embrace the experience as a natural and necessary part of emotional processing.

The symphony of tears, facial contortions, and vocalizations creates a powerful physical experience. But what orchestrates this complex response? The answer lies deep within our nervous system, the intricate network that governs our body’s reactions to both internal and external stimuli. Understanding its role is essential to deciphering the mystery of crying chills.

Autonomic Overdrive: How Your Nervous System Reacts to Crying

Our bodies are finely tuned instruments, constantly adjusting to maintain equilibrium. When we cry, this delicate balance is disrupted, triggering a cascade of physiological responses orchestrated by the autonomic nervous system (ANS).

The ANS is the body’s control center for involuntary functions, such as heart rate, digestion, and breathing. It operates largely outside of our conscious awareness, ensuring that these vital processes run smoothly.

The Two Branches of the Autonomic Nervous System

The ANS has two main branches: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. These two systems work in opposition to maintain homeostasis.

• Sympathetic Nervous System: Often referred to as the "fight or flight" system, the sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for action in response to perceived threats or stressors. It accelerates heart rate, increases blood pressure, and releases stress hormones like adrenaline.

• Parasympathetic Nervous System: In contrast, the parasympathetic nervous system promotes relaxation and conservation of energy. It slows heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and stimulates digestion. It’s often called the "rest and digest" system.

Crying and the Sympathetic Surge

While crying might seem like a passive act, it often triggers a surge of sympathetic activity. Intense emotions, such as sadness, grief, or frustration, can activate the sympathetic nervous system, initiating the "fight or flight" response.

This might seem counterintuitive. After all, there is no physical threat present when you are watching a sad movie or grieving a loss. However, the brain interprets intense emotional distress as a form of stress, prompting the body to prepare for action.

This activation leads to several physiological changes:

• Increased heart rate
• Rapid breathing
• Muscle tension
• Release of adrenaline

These changes can manifest as physical symptoms like shaking, shivering, and feeling cold.

Stress, Anxiety, and Amplified Responses

The intensity of the sympathetic response during crying can be significantly heightened by pre-existing stress and anxiety. When we are already in a state of heightened alert, the threshold for triggering the "fight or flight" response is lowered.

Chronic stress and anxiety can sensitize the sympathetic nervous system, making it more reactive to emotional stimuli. This means that even relatively minor emotional triggers can lead to a more pronounced physiological response, including more intense shivers and shaking during crying.

Think of it like this: if your body is already running on high alert due to stress, even a small emotional trigger can push it over the edge, resulting in a more dramatic physical reaction. It’s like a car alarm that’s set too sensitively – even a gentle breeze can set it off.

In essence, the autonomic nervous system plays a crucial role in the physical manifestations of crying. By understanding how the sympathetic nervous system responds to emotional distress, we can begin to unravel the mystery of why we sometimes feel so cold and shaky when we shed tears.

The surge of the sympathetic nervous system is just the opening act in our body’s complex response to intense emotions. What follows is a hormonal cascade, a veritable "hormonal havoc" that further contributes to the chilling sensations we experience while crying.

Hormonal Havoc: Adrenaline, Cortisol, and the Chills

During periods of stress and emotional upheaval, our bodies release a flood of powerful hormones, most notably adrenaline (epinephrine) and cortisol. These chemical messengers play a crucial role in orchestrating the physiological changes that accompany strong emotions, including the sensation of feeling cold and the onset of shivers.

Adrenaline: The Initial Rush

Adrenaline, often associated with the "fight or flight" response, is rapidly released when we perceive a threat or experience intense emotions. This hormone triggers a range of effects:

• Increased heart rate
• Elevated blood pressure
• Dilation of pupils

These changes are designed to prepare us for immediate action.

Adrenaline also affects our metabolic rate, increasing energy production and heat generation. However, this initial surge of heat is often short-lived and can be followed by a feeling of coldness.

This is because adrenaline also causes vasoconstriction, the narrowing of blood vessels, particularly in the skin.

While vasoconstriction helps to redirect blood flow to vital organs, it also reduces heat loss through the skin, leading to a drop in surface temperature and the sensation of feeling cold.

Cortisol: The Sustained Stress Response

Cortisol, often referred to as the "stress hormone," is released in response to prolonged or intense stress.

Unlike adrenaline, which provides an immediate burst of energy, cortisol sustains the body’s stress response over a longer period.

Cortisol plays a vital role in regulating:

• Blood sugar levels
• Immune function
• Metabolism

Elevated cortisol levels can have a range of effects on the body, including:

• Suppression of the immune system
• Increased blood sugar levels
• Changes in mood and behavior

One of the less-discussed effects of cortisol is its influence on thermoregulation.

Prolonged exposure to high cortisol levels can disrupt the body’s ability to maintain a stable internal temperature, making us more susceptible to feeling cold.

The Hypothalamus: The Body’s Thermostat

The hypothalamus, a small but mighty region of the brain, acts as the body’s thermostat. It constantly monitors our internal temperature and triggers various mechanisms to maintain it within a narrow range.

When we cry, the release of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol can disrupt the hypothalamus’s normal functioning.

This disruption can lead to fluctuations in body temperature, contributing to the sensation of feeling cold or experiencing shivers.

The hypothalamus receives input from various sources, including temperature sensors in the skin and internal organs.

It also communicates with the autonomic nervous system, which controls processes like sweating and shivering.

During emotional distress, the hypothalamus may misinterpret signals or become overwhelmed by the hormonal surge, leading to thermoregulatory imbalances.

This intricate interplay between hormones, the autonomic nervous system, and the hypothalamus highlights the complexity of the physiological response to crying. The "chills" we experience are not simply a random occurrence, but rather a consequence of a finely tuned system struggling to regain equilibrium in the face of intense emotional stress.

The hormonal cascade we’ve discussed paints a vivid picture of how deeply intertwined our emotions are with our physical responses. But the story doesn’t end there. Beyond the chills, many people experience shaking or trembling while crying, an equally perplexing and sometimes unsettling phenomenon. But what exactly causes this trembling, and what purpose might it serve?

Shaking It Out: Muscle Contractions as a Release Valve

When emotions reach a fever pitch, the body can react in surprising ways. One of the most common, yet often misunderstood, responses is shaking. This involuntary muscle contraction isn’t just a random occurrence. It’s often the body’s way of physically manifesting and attempting to release the intense emotional energy building within.

The Physiology of a Shake

Intense emotions, particularly those involving stress, anxiety, or overwhelming sadness, trigger a surge of activity in the nervous system. This heightened activity doesn’t just affect our heart rate and hormone levels. It also impacts our muscles.

The brain sends signals that can lead to rapid, involuntary muscle contractions. This is what we perceive as shaking or trembling. Think of it as the body’s attempt to physically discharge the pent-up energy generated by the emotional experience.

Shaking as a Release Mechanism

The concept of shaking as a release valve is crucial to understanding this phenomenon. When we experience strong emotions, our bodies generate a significant amount of energy. If this energy isn’t processed or released effectively, it can manifest as physical tension.

Shaking, in this context, can be viewed as a natural mechanism for releasing this pent-up energy. It’s a way for the body to physically "shake off" the stress and tension associated with the emotions.

Imagine a coiled spring. The tighter it’s wound, the more potential energy it holds. Once released, the spring rapidly expands and releases that stored energy. Similarly, our bodies, when experiencing intense emotions, can become "wound up." Shaking is the release.

The Evolutionary Perspective

From an evolutionary perspective, the shaking response might have served a valuable purpose. In situations of danger or intense stress, shaking could have helped prime the muscles for action, even if that action wasn’t consciously directed.

This aligns with the "fight or flight" response, where the body prepares for immediate physical exertion. While crying might not seem like a physical activity, the emotions associated with it can trigger the same physiological responses as a real threat.

When to Be Concerned

While shaking during crying is often a normal and harmless response, it’s essential to be aware of when it might indicate a more significant issue. If the shaking is excessively violent, prolonged, or accompanied by other concerning symptoms (such as loss of consciousness or seizures), it’s crucial to seek medical attention.

Additionally, if the shaking is consistently associated with overwhelming anxiety or panic attacks, it may be beneficial to consult with a mental health professional. They can help identify the underlying causes of the anxiety and develop strategies for managing it.

Embracing the Shake

Ultimately, experiencing shaking while crying can be unsettling, but understanding the underlying physiology can help demystify the experience. Recognizing it as a natural release mechanism can empower you to embrace the sensation rather than fear it.

It’s your body’s way of processing and releasing intense emotional energy. By allowing yourself to shake, you might even find that it helps you move through the emotional experience more effectively.

Shaking, in this context, can be viewed as a physical manifestation of this release. But, the body’s response to emotional distress doesn’t stop there. The chills that often accompany crying can also be attributed to the disruption of our body’s internal thermostat, which will be discussed further.

Thermostat Malfunction: How Crying Messes with Body Temperature

Crying isn’t just an emotional release; it’s a complex physiological event that can significantly impact our body temperature. Think of your body’s thermoregulation system as a finely tuned thermostat, designed to maintain a stable internal environment.

However, intense emotional states, particularly those associated with crying, can throw this system off balance, leading to the unsettling experience of feeling cold even when the ambient temperature is perfectly normal.

The Hypothalamus Hijacked

The hypothalamus, a small but mighty region in the brain, acts as the body’s primary thermostat. It receives information about internal and external temperatures and triggers responses to maintain equilibrium.

During intense emotional experiences, the hypothalamus can become temporarily "hijacked" by the surge of stress hormones and neurotransmitters. This disruption interferes with its ability to accurately regulate body temperature.

Misinterpreting the Signals

The emotional storm brewing within can lead to misinterpretation of thermal signals.

The body might perceive a drop in temperature when there isn’t one, prompting shivering and the sensation of being cold. This is further exacerbated by the activation of the sympathetic nervous system.

Anxiety’s Amplifying Effect

The level of anxiety accompanying the crying episode plays a significant role in the intensity of thermoregulation disruption. Higher anxiety levels amplify the stress response, leading to a greater release of hormones and neurotransmitters that interfere with the hypothalamus’s function.

This can result in more pronounced temperature fluctuations and a stronger sensation of feeling cold.

The Chilling Reality of Emotional Overload

In essence, crying and the emotional states that trigger it can create a perfect storm for thermoregulatory dysfunction.

The hormonal surge, the nervous system activation, and the emotional intensity all converge to disrupt the delicate balance of the body’s internal thermostat. This leaves us feeling cold, shivering, and questioning why a purely emotional experience can have such profound physical effects.

Shaking, in this context, can be viewed as a physical manifestation of this release. But, the body’s response to emotional distress doesn’t stop there. The chills that often accompany crying can also be attributed to the disruption of our body’s internal thermostat, which will be discussed further.

Seeking Support: When Crying Chills Signal Something More

It’s crucial to remember that experiencing shivers, cold, and shaking during or after crying is very often a completely normal physiological reaction.

As we’ve explored, the complex interplay of hormones, the nervous system, and thermoregulation can lead to these physical sensations.

However, it’s equally important to recognize when these symptoms might indicate a deeper issue requiring professional attention.

When the physical and emotional responses to crying become overwhelming, debilitating, or persistent, it’s time to consider seeking support.

When to Seek Professional Help

Recognizing when to seek help can be challenging, but here are some key indicators:

• Severity and Debilitation: Are the shivers, cold, or shaking so intense that they significantly disrupt your daily life? Do they prevent you from functioning normally at work, school, or in your personal relationships? If the answer is yes, it’s important to reach out to someone.

• Overwhelming Stress and Anxiety: Is your stress and anxiety consistently overwhelming, making it difficult to cope with everyday challenges? Do you feel constantly on edge, unable to relax, or plagued by persistent worries? If so, professional guidance can provide valuable coping mechanisms and strategies.

• Underlying Mental Health Concerns: Are you experiencing other symptoms of mental health issues, such as persistent sadness, hopelessness, loss of interest in activities, changes in appetite or sleep, or feelings of worthlessness? These can indicate underlying issues that benefit from professional care.

Recognizing the Signs of Distress

It’s essential to pay attention to both the physical and emotional signs of distress.

If you notice any of the following, it’s a good idea to seek support:

• Persistent physical symptoms: Prolonged or severe shivers, chills, or shaking that don’t subside after crying.
• Emotional dysregulation: Intense mood swings, difficulty managing emotions, or feeling overwhelmed by sadness, anger, or anxiety.
• Withdrawal from social activities: Isolating yourself from friends and family, losing interest in hobbies, or feeling disconnected from the world around you.
• Negative self-talk: Constant self-criticism, feelings of worthlessness, or a pervasive sense of hopelessness.
• Changes in behavior: Significant changes in sleep patterns, appetite, energy levels, or ability to concentrate.

Available Resources

There are many resources available to provide support and guidance.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to:

• Mental health professionals: Therapists, counselors, and psychiatrists can provide individual therapy, group therapy, or medication management.
• Support groups: Connecting with others who share similar experiences can offer a sense of community and reduce feelings of isolation.
• Crisis hotlines: These hotlines provide immediate support and resources for individuals in crisis.
• Primary care physicians: Your doctor can assess your physical and mental health and refer you to appropriate specialists if needed.

Seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. It demonstrates a commitment to your well-being and a willingness to take proactive steps toward a healthier and happier life. Remember, you don’t have to go through this alone.

So, next time you’re sobbing and start shivering, remember, it’s probably just your body doing its thing. It’s a totally normal response, even if it feels a little weird. Just try to breathe and let it pass. Hopefully, this article helped answer the question: are u meant to be cold and shake when ur crying!