Prestroke, I used to cry at nothing, reading a sad book watching a sad movie or hearing a sad story.Poststroke , let's say a couple of years , I had cried so much after my ex left me, then after stroke, I became a piece of ice, those few years, I had kept so much inside to show I was strong in front of family and friends, I just couldn't cry anymore except when I was telling someone my story about divorce or stroke. When I met my partner, he encouraged me to express myself in words and emotionnally. No wonder I burned out in 2001, I had been keeping everything inside me for 20 years. Now I express myself in a healthier way. Sometimes, now, I cry just because. I feel so much more liberated. Imagine going from a cry baby (too emotional) to a piece of ice. I was actually proud of myselfbecause I thought I was strong for going through everything without tears but it actually made a mess of me, because when I opened up finally, it was like a volcano, I erupted into a long coming depression. Not healthy to keep everything inside, I learned the hard way.