Why do I suddenly feel like crying all the time?

I'm scared. I'm 20 and lately ( for the past 2 weeks ) I've just had the urge to breakdown and cry. I dont know why... I see a therapist for anxiety and phobias but in sessions I NEVER cry, and it's been a year I've been going. I dont know what it is! When I hear a sad song I feel like crying, or when I just think about something sad I feel like bawling my eyes out! Lately therapy has been getting tough and we have been talking about pretty sensitive things ( I lost someone close to me recently ) plus we've been doing exposure therapy which is scaring me to the point of cancelling sessions. I dont know if this has anything to do with it but I dont understand why I dont cry in session. Like if she saw me cry there maybe she can help me rather than me coming home and crying over everything. Even writing this post is making me emotional...

Any advice? Sorry if this made no sense.

I can really relate. I have never cried in T but I sat and bawled through the kid's film Inside Out. I think I am learning to feel my emotions and that can be overwhelming at times, but I am still self-protective with T and so I can't let go enough to cry there.
This could be a really good discussion to have with T, but it's a totally normal reaction to your emotions.

It's possible you're starting a major depressive episode (I've had multiple ones throughout my life, including one that started about 8 months ago and finally seems to be getting better). Weepiness is a big symptom for me. And depression can happen at the same time as anxiety (not fun!) Definitely mention it to your T.

Also, are you on any psych meds? Some of those can actually lead to depressed feelings.

I totally relate to how you are feeling. I had a time just recently where I wanted to cry about everything, but I refused to cry in front of T. I finally sent him an email and he kept stressing that tears are there for a reason and he felt that I was finally allowing myself to really feel the emotions that were going on inside me. I still haven't let myself cry in front of him, but I'm slowly feeling more ok with my tears.

I cry a lot and am weepy when I am tired and don't get enough sleep. Are you more tired than usual?

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Thanks for the input. I'm not on any meds so it can't be that. I just dont understand, I'm thinking maybe the therapy sessions are really hard and keeping my tears in isn't helping at all. How can I just let go and cry in session? I got close last time but I just kept avoiding eye contact, I'm not even sure if she noticed.

I do cry in therapy too. I in general cry a lot. It is too much kind of

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I have no problem crying when I am totally alone. In session I feel like crying and I have to try really hard not to. I feel like I cant let my T see me like that. I think you will be able to cry when you feel like you can let go and really trust your T.

My therapist believes that underneath most anxiety is sadness. If there is some truth to that for you, it makes perfect sense that the work on your anxiety has left an opening for deep sadness to be experienced and released.

I cry quite often in therapy, though it took me a little time to get there. And I still sometimes apologize to my T or marriage counselor for crying, which I know is silly. Otherwise, I try to reserve my crying for when I'm alone. Though tonight I cried in front of my husband (who obviously is also there when I cry in front of MC).

What Leah said about sadness being under anxiety makes some sense to me. I know when I'm having a panic attack, if I can somehow get myself to cry, it helps relieve it. I think some of it comes from my trying to repress emotions. Which I can let out in therapy, because it's (usually) a safe space.

This was me for awhile. And, I went through the same thing. I would burst into tears at work, in my car, anywhere and couldn't pinpoint WHY. To this day I still don't know but my new T. says I was probably flooded. Just a rush of emotions with no way to contain or make sense of them. It was in these moments I really wish I could have gotten more support from my ex T.

I'm guessing they are tied to the work you are doing in therapy. I would mention it to your T. Do you feel them coming on in your session? I would leave my sessions not feeling great knowing it would be a rough week. Unfortunately, my T. never gave me good advice on how to handle the emotions which made me feel very alone in all of it. Maybe your T. can help you make sense of them and give you strategies for coping with them in between sessions.

I also couldn't cry in front of my ex T. and desperately wanted to. I felt like if I did she would finally see how painful it all was for me. I finally cried in my last two sessions with her. Then, I cried in the first two with new T. I guess something about ex T. made me not feel comfortable showing emotion. Or, I had so much in between my sessions that not much was left when I was in there. I also think it was my transference since I was not allowed to cry as a child.