Why would someone cry whenever they read?

First I guess you’d have to figure out whether it’s emotional crying or just physiology.

I’m not exactly sure what is meant by “they can’t keep the story in their head.” It sounds like the person is having some kind of memory or perception problems. If that is the case, they need to be evaluated by a doctor, especially if this has not always been the case.

The other possibility is that the person is just very emotional. I have cried when reading certain passages in books, in much the same way as I might cry at a very moving scene in a movie.

I don’t know what it is for your person, but I do know that something similar has happened to me in the last few years. I’m pretty sure it to do with going through a hypomanic episode and then into a severe depression. During the depression I started crying at the stupidest things—like Disney movies, and I haven’t gone back to my old self since.

I find emotional scenes much more moving now. Songs and TV and movies and for god’s sake even commercials can do this to me. I have a devil of a time hiding it from anyone. My daughter has caught on to me, I think. I have no idea what she makes of it.

In any case, if I were trying to read at such a time, I couldn’t. But even when I am not verklempt, I have a hard time reading. I think that’s because my eyes are getting worse or my glasses are no good any more or both. Reading on the page is not the fun it used to be. I guess I like the screen now.

For some reason, I get much more distracted when reading print. I sometimes have to read things several times, and I can’t read for very long. That makes it hard to keep track of what is going on. It doesn’t help that part of my memory is rapidly disappearing. I will soon be reduced to gabbling like a turkey because I can’t remember the words to say what I’m thinking.

Imagine that! A babbling, overly emotional grown man, turned into a giant baby. Or toddler. At least I still know how to go to the bathroom on my own.

I’m not sure I understand the Q…..

Something could be physically wrong with their vision….
Could be Environmental ie: Bad lighting, particles in the air…ect
Could be emotional response to (the act of reading, what the subject is….ect)

I can read for about 9–10hrs then my eyes start to blur way too long

Are they having trouble reading because they have tears in their eyes, or do they have tears in their eyes because they can’t read? That would be my first question.
Is it any reading – like even the label on a jar? Or just novels, articles, etc?

My take on your question is the person is having excessive tearing while trying to read and finds it distracting to the point they can’t keep their mind on what they are reading. The very reason I don’t read the printed page much anymore unless I have to, although I used to be a voracious reader. Now I, like @wundayatta have an easier time with the screen. My doctor told me I had chronic dry eye which sounded silly because my eyes are not dry, they are too damn wet! But he explained that the dry eye condition was overstimulating my tear ducts and hence, I have too much liquid flowing from my eyes. Anyway, the screen is just much more old-eye friendly and my glasses are crap.

How frustrating this must be for you, with so little from your friend to go on. It could be physiological, emotional, and/or a little of both.

If they can’t keep the story in their head, I’d check into new medications or possibly organic brain damage. Important to tell a doctor that kind of mental change.

Maybe an eye problem?

overly sentimental or maybe it triggers a sensitive memory?