Thus far, there is no specific, valid scientific evidence to why we feel relieved after a good cry during traumatic episodes. Unlike reflex tears (allergies, when we get something stuck in our eyes, or when cutting an onion), which is made up of 98% water, emotional tears have a much higher concentration of hormones and proteins. According to Dr. William Frey II, Ph. D., biochemist and tear researcher at Ramsey Medical Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota), the scientific conclusion his team found is that the tears shed during emotional crying gets rid of stress chemicals/hormones/toxins accumulated in your brain during a stressful trauma. Another theory is that the tears release endorphins, the chemical that makes us happy.