Regret can often be a powerful emotion. According to a study in a recent Los Angeles Times article it has no place in old-age if you want to be happy. According to the article a new study finds that how we deal with options that no longer exist and opportunities that we consider lost makes a big difference in whether or not we will grow into happy seniors or be the victims of late-life depression. Reporting their findings in Science magazine, German researchers found when playing games of chance among older subjects , the 20 who had experienced depression later in life were definitely much more likely to respond to regret similar to the way a healthy young person would: Their hearts rate was elevated, their hands would get sweaty, and they would change their playing strategy in the next game. The emotionally healthy older adults, in contrast, were calm cool and collected in the face of regret: Whether they went all in and lost, or held and lost, had no association with how they played the next game. Their palms stayed dry and their hearts did not race. This led scientist to believe older people were happier when they live life without regret. Dr. Kim helps patients understand that regardless of their age when considering plastic surgery it is common for patients to say that they regret having not made the decision sooner. This is most common with patients who have had breast reduction or facelift. Because these procedures are somewhat dramatic and satisfaction is usually immediate, some patients feel a sense of loss that they were unable to enjoy the benefits sooner. Patients wait for different reasons but plastic surgery remains one of the surgeries with the highest rate of patient satisfaction.
