“Tears of joy” refers to crying when there has been a psychological gain, not a loss. The dynamic explanation of the phenomenon is that the need to repress sadness is lifted because of the gain; genetically the crying is over past losses. A clinical vignette illustrating the phenomenon is given here. It relieved the patient to be told that her symptoms did not mean that she was sick and requiring medication.
References
1.
BerglerE.: Paradoxical tears — tears of happiness.Dis Nerv Syst, 13: 337–338, 1952.
2.
FeldmanS.S.: Crying at the happy ending.J Am Psychoanal Assoc, 37: 477–485, 1956.
3.
WeissJ.: Crying at the happy ending.Psychoanal Rev, 39: 338, 1952.
