It's only when one can't free himself from despair that the problem becomes serious. Despair is actually a defense against anxiety. It is a reaction against the fear and stress of trying to cope in an unfriendly world. If either the world outside or one's emotions are too threatening, a person may repress his feelings and become depressed. And tears are a wonderful gift of God for dealing with stress, and at times they also accompany despair.
Tears help to express shame or sadness, and they help to relieve despair.
Severely depressed people have been known to weep for hours or even days. Emily shared that experience. In fact, each of us has a certain amount of emotional drive, and this emotional energy is usually directed toward another person. When the depressed person feels cut off from others, he turns his emotional investment back into himself. He lives in despair isolation.