HerMetabolism.org -No Daughter Left Behind

Regret is an indirect habit when arising by bad, avoidable habits. Regret can arise at any point in life, can last all of life, and can significantly impact her metabolism as to stress and more.¹ A key challenge for clinicians is balancing (a) the value of avoiding talk of regret to avoid the stress (and even resentment) of eliciting such talk, with (b) talking about regret to gain the (potentially significant) benefits of reflecting on regret.²

As people die, their religiosity and socializing tend to significantly determine whether, how, and how much regret is experienced.³ Regret can affect patients and clinicians alike, especially during stressful interactions, such as during end-of-life care.⁴ Regret sometimes correlates closely with guilt.⁵ In popular literature, some people have reported the following as key regrets, as death approaches ⁶:

• falling short of the courage to live a life true to oneself;
• missing too much of children's childhood, and spouse's companionship, by working too much;
• failing to expressive feelings;
• losing touch with friends;
• too often deciding to be unhappy.

Meanwhile, the International Journal of Aging and Human Development reports that a key lifelong regret among childless women is often childlessness that impedes the motherhood that is such an integral part of womanhood and her life generally. That regret about childlessness arises regardless whether the childlessness is voluntary or involuntary.⁷ Indeed, regret among childless women is sometimes so immense that the regret-filled childless women will lie about the regret – even in peer-reviewed academic journals.⁷