Regret is a chemical loop created by several hormones and neurotransmitters working together.

Here are the main ones involved:

Cortisol
Stress hormone. Regret, rumination, and “what if” thinking raise cortisol. This keeps the body in threat mode and makes the feeling stick.

Adrenaline (epinephrine)
Activated when you replay emotional moments. It creates intensity and alertness, which makes the memory feel urgent and alive.

Dopamine
This is the addictive part. When you replay regret, your brain can get small dopamine hits from emotional stimulation, even if the emotion is painful. The brain prefers stimulation over calm.

Norepinephrine
Strengthens emotional memories. It makes regret feel vivid and hard to let go of.

Serotonin (low levels)
Low serotonin is linked to obsessive thinking and looping thoughts, which is common with regret.

Oxytocin (context-dependent)
If regret is about attachment or loss, oxytocin can reinforce emotional bonding and longing, making letting go harder.

Bottom line
Regret becomes addictive because the brain gets chemical stimulation, not because it is helpful. Replaying it gives your nervous system a familiar hormonal hit, even though it feels bad.

Your sentence, cleaned up and accurate:

It’s because emotions are driven by addictive hormones. By replaying regret, your body keeps getting a chemical hit, which reinforces the loop.

This is why breaking regret is less about logic and more about interrupting the chemical cycle.