Can't cry. Baffled

Yes. I have had this problem for years, as does a friend of mine. We put it down to the antidepressants we are taking.

No

Thank you Allsorts. It can be tough this life that's for sure. for those struggling.

Never was a big crier, you didn't in my family and got on with things, then when my father died I seemed to cry for weeks, when my husband died and it seemed forever I cried myself to sleep, I would be out shopping or a meal with people and just wanted to be home and cry, used to think I would die of a broken heart. However, everything passes on and you learn to cope with the new normal.. Can’t watch the news and see the suffering in the countries at war and the hardships without shedding a tear, so I try to avoid. A child goes missing or dies and that starts me off. Beautiful music brings a tear to my eye. I
do wish I didn't feel so much.
💐 for Kate and Andrea you're brave people and made happy lives despite your early years.
IamMaz, it is so hard for you for you now, i know how I was when my first marriage broke up, I was young and 2 young children, all my friends married, I thought I can’t do this alone,
then I was told do just one day at a time, many times just an hour, things got easier but my life changed and my vision of the future. I eventually got a better one, no one knows whats round the next corner.

I've had 'dry' eyes for in excess of forty years. Dry eyes do not prevent emotional tears from flowing.

Get your eyes checked out.

Dry eyes become very common as we age.

Can also be caused by certain medications.

It's a phase I expect. I'm a very emotional person but this happened to me when I was in a life stage where I was bottling up lots of feelings (and having panic attacks instead). Having got rid of the main problem tears flowed again. Hope they soon do for you - but for all the right reasons!

I don't cry either & I wish I did. I'm sure it's not medical, it's emotional. If I'm really upset for a long period my head feels full of tears, they're there but don't come out.

I used to cry when I was angry, thwarted & felt powerless, but I guess I don't feel this way so often now. I haven't cried when sad for 40 years, but children singing can make me feel "weepy".

I have the opposite problem I cry over silly things, I’ve always been sentimental but but I’m 66 and getting worse

Please make an appointment with your gp.
There are two types of macular degeneration
Wet eye degeneration and dry eye degeneration.
I suspect that you may have dry eye degeneration.Your gp would be able to advise you . I have seen dry eye degeneration in my family , my grandmother had dry eye degeneration!

I have recently realised that I don’t cry nearly as much as I used to. I, too, wondered if I was growing harder or more unfeeling. Whatever the reason, I do find it strange.

I was brought up in a family where you didn't cry, you just had to get on with life. I think that has stayed with me into adulthood. I can feel intense emotion or sadness but seem unable to cry. Strangely, the only three times I can remember sobbing are when my dogs died. My friend of 35 years was with me when I took the last one to the vets and she was shocked when she saw me sob. She said through all the really bad things that had happened to me she had never seen me cry.
Other people seem to be able to cry at will. It might come across as cold but I feel things very deeply just have that inability to let go and sob. I've been in tremendous emotional and physical pain but still the tears don't flow.

I've never been the sort of person who easily cries (other than at cruelty to animals and children), but not at things that are "about me". When younger and in the early years of marriage I did cry at times when my DH upset me, but he recoiled from tears like someone had shot him, and the most I ever got from him was a pat on the shoulder when I really needed a loving hug. But his mother was a constant wailer so I think he was somewhat immune from tears. That said, he is quite a thoughtless man, doesn't see why he might have made someone cry and usually turns it round on the weeper so that they feel they are in the wrong for being unreasonably sensitive. That's only my interpretation of course, he would deny it were true, but has no other explanation for his reaction to tears.

I never EVER saw either of my parents cry.

I do, however, get very upset about some things in my life, such as my eldest DD and her poor health at age 45, and my youngest DD who, at 42, is about to attempt her fourth round of IVF. But I cry alone, cos DH never shows much interest.

Quite sad, really.

I don’t cry either. I have dry eyes and don’t produce any tears or moisture in my eyes. So when my daughter died I cried without tears if you see what I mean. Maybe get a checkup at the doctors as dry eyes can be an auto immune condition

Oreo

Blocked tear ducts?

Blocked tear ducts cause tears.

Could be ‘dry eye’ syndrome which Omega 7 with Sea Buckthorn oil helps greatly- or it might just be emotional maturity!

jakuss - many happy returns - I too had a birthday last Thursday - if it wasn’t for my daughter, who remembered in the nick of time, I too would have had a lonely birthday - my sons went off on their holidays .
IamMaz - must be so hard - I was divorced after 25 years and I found it so hard. I am fine now. You too, will get over it - give it a little time. I hope you have good friends

@Jakuss , wishing you a very happy birthday for last week 🎊🍰🍹💐

I took antidepressants for many years and lost the ability to cry, they seemed to blunt the highs and lows. Eventually last year I managed to very gradually reduce the dose until I stopped taking them altogether - and now I can cry again! Music, emotional films, sadness - such a relief.

I can't cry, plenty of reasons to but just don't. On various meds to help my damaged auto immune system and a painful childhood have caused me to "dry up". Last time I had any tears was my dfs funeral 12yrs ago, sadly there is nothing left inside me to cry with---I do care but have closed off.

Alypoole

I really wish I could. It's a natural response surely. My husband gets really emotional about so many things but especially memories of when our children were younger. At the moment I'm under investigation because my eyes are constantly watering. Told you I'm weird!

Ah.

Therein lies the answer.

fwiw, I only cry about twice a year.
And I am glad!

I find it very difficult to cry but something this morning gave me a few tears. Otherwise, I can go years without tears.

I cry all too easily. My husband of 35 years decided to divorce me. Still being sorted. But whenever anyone asks how I am, the floodgates open. As they are now as I type…. 😭

i have been like this for 40 years, now 77, got hurt so many times that i no longer cry, last monday was my birthday i didnt get anything off my sons or partner, or anyone, i came close to tears for the first time but they still didnt come.

NotSpaghetti

Like Luckygirl3 I'm a weeper.
Happy or sad I am easily moved to tears.

- If people are kind, cruel or just having fabulous fun together. A beautiful sunset, film, piece of art, the joys of nature - sand between my toes... Frustration, feeling sorry for myself... feeling blessed.

"Is she weeping yet" is a popular family refrain.
BUT I laugh just as easily and often feel truly joyful.
I have to warn new people when I can feel tears coming and sometimes say to (for example) health professionals "I'm going to weep when I explain this but I'm OK really".

The tears are quick to come and quick to go. Those who know me laugh about it. I have been like this since a teenager I think. I have always been teased about it a bit but I don't care. It's just who I am.
Maybe I have very small tear ducts?

I could have written this as I’m exactly the same. In fact when I took early retirement (rather than redundancy) from a job I loved, my boss bought me a box of Kleenex as one of my retirement gifts. Everyone thought it was hilarious, as did I. They all knew exactly what I was like.