In the quiet space of therapy, we often meet people who chase the next “dopamine hit”, the thrill of success, the relief of approval, the instant comfort of scrolling, shopping, or escaping. Dopamine is the brain’s messenger of reward and anticipation. It pushes us toward pleasure, but it rarely satisfies for long. When life is built only on dopamine moments, we live in cycles of craving and regret: forever chasing, never resting.
Regret, in psychological terms, often arises when our dopamine-driven impulses lead us away from our deeper values. We act for short-term pleasure but later realize we have betrayed something essential in ourselves, our patience, our integrity, our peace. Yet regret can be the turning point. It is the mind’s invitation to slow down, to move from the fast rewards of dopamine toward the calm fulfillment of endorphin, the body’s natural painkiller and the neurochemical of peace, gratitude, and quiet pride.
Endorphins are released not when we chase, but when we commit: in consistent exercise, in genuine laughter, in acts of compassion, in the simple endurance of pain for a meaningful goal. Unlike dopamine, endorphins don’t shout; they hum gently through the soul, whispering, “You’re doing well. Keep going.”
Moving from regret to pride is the same movement: from dopamine to endorphin. It’s not about rejecting pleasure but redefining it. The shift happens when we stop asking, “What gives me pleasure now?” and start asking, “What will give me peace later?” For example, someone recovering from addiction learns to replace the high of the moment with the quiet satisfaction of a day lived clean. A student replaces the thrill of procrastination with the steady joy of completed effort. A parent finds pride not in control but in patient presence.
In therapy, we need to remind ourselves: pride is not arrogance. It is serenity after struggle, the body’s endorphin response to growth. Each time we choose integrity over impulse, we teach our brain that peace is more rewarding than pleasure.
So, when regret knocks, do not drown it in dopamine. Listen to it. Let it guide you toward endurance, purpose, and pride. Because the true healing of the human spirit happens not in the rush of reward, but in the gentle rhythm of endorphin, when the soul finally feels at home in its own skin.
God bless,
With love and prayers,
Little-pencil
Little-pencil 