We need to talk about crymaxing: crying after sex

It can happen to the best of us: you had a wonderful evening with your loving partner, ended up in bed enjoying each other, there’s nothing wrong, and yet you feel them coming: those damn tears. Of course, no one is waiting for that, especially when there’s actually nothing wrong. Yet it’s more common than you think. About 46 percent of women have experienced this, and there’s even a name for it: crymaxing. As a big fan of fun wordplay, I can’t help but chuckle at this term, but that doesn’t take away my curiosity about where this phenomenon comes from. Why are our orgasms sometimes literally tearful?

Actually, it’s quite simple: a crying fit after an orgasm has everything to do with fluctuations in your hormones. Sex is inherently very intense, and your body picks up on all of it. A lot of different hormones are released, including oxytocin and endorphins. After sex, there’s a release of all those hormones and emotions you’ve accumulated throughout the day, which can lead to a huge crying fit. Does this mean you found the sex unpleasant? Absolutely not. Often, these crying fits (especially when you have no idea where they come from) have nothing to do with your partner or the sex itself. You’re just overwhelmed by emotions, and sometimes you can even cry from happiness.

What’s best to do when such a crying fit occurs? Just cuddle and comfort if needed. The person having the crying fit probably doesn’t even know where it’s coming from, and a barrage of questions is the last thing they need. If you feel the need to talk about it, do so later. But whatever you do, never take such a crying fit personally.

Source: Oprah Daily