Maybe that was his way of coping with the loss of his wife.
Dean left the cell confident that the old man was coping, but he was beginning to mirror Fred's concern with his past.
It won't be possible to completely eliminate all causes of stress from your life, but there are some things you can to do make coping easier.
As long as these coping mechanisms are done in a private place and don't do any damage to property, it's fine to express these feelings and may even provide you with a feeling of release.
They are also meant to be used when you feel you need them, for example if you are faced with an emotional situation and you need help coping with your feelings of anger.