The Value of tears Tears can ruin make-up, bring conversation to a stop, and give you a runny nose. They can leave you embarrassed and without energy. However, crying is a fact of life, and tears are very useful. Even when you’re not crying, your eyes produce tears. These create a film over the eye’s suce. This film contains a substance that protects your eyes against infection. Tears relieve stress, but we tend to fight them for all sorts of reasons. "People worry about showing their emotions. They’re afraid that once they lose control, they’ll never get it back." explains psychologist Dorothy Rowe. "As children we were sometimes punished for shedding tears or expressing anger. As s we still fear the consequences of showing emotions." Almost any emotion—good or bad, happy or sad—can cause tears. Crying is a way that we release built-up emotions. Tears help you when you feel you are ready to explode because of very strong feelings. It may explain why people who are afraid to cry often suffer more heart attacks than people who cry more freely. When some people become very stressed, however, they can’t cry. They may be feeling shock, anger, fear, or grief, but they repress（抑制）the emotion. "Everyone has the need to cry," says psychotherapist（精神治疗师）Vera Diamond. Sometimes in therapy sessions, patients participate in crying exercises. They practice crying so that they can get used to expressing emotion. Diamond says it’s best to cry in safe, private places, like under the bedcovers or in the car. That’s because many people get uncomfortable when others cry in front of them. In fact, they may be repressing their own need to cry. In certain situations, such as at work, tears are not appropriate. It’s good to hold back tears during a tense business discussion. "But once you are safely behind closed doors,don’t just cry," Diamond says. She suggests that you act out the whole situation again and be as noisy and angry as you like. It will help you feel better. "And," she adds, "once our tears have released the stress, you can begin to think of logical ways to deal problem." Tears are a sign of our ability to feel. You should never be afraid to cry. Crying is useful in that it_____