The Super Bowl is over and the Baltimore Ravens won, bringing the NFL season to a close. And now you, a diehard, hardcore fan who loves football more than anything, are feeling withdrawn and down, unable to see any reason to get out of bed and face the world. Do not fear. You are suffering from football withdrawal. And a Loyola University psychiatrist is here to help.
Football withdrawal is not uncommon among the game’s most passionate NFL football fans, the kind of people who have NFL RedZone on their phones and ESPN Game Plan on their TVs. The excitement these fans feel through the season, particularly during exciting games, creates a high not unlike what runners or swimmers feel after an epic workout. And when it’s gone, they crash.
“Fans identify with the game and feel like they are in there,” said Dr. Angelos Halaris, a Loyola University Health System psychiatrist. “When we engage in a fun activity, dopamine is increased in the brain, making us feel a sense of pleasure. This doesn’t last forever.”
That extra dopamine is released when people really get into a game. The more intense the experience — and Baltimore’s 34-31 win over the San Francisco 49ers was one of the wildest, most intense games in recent memory — the more dopamine the brain releases and the “higher” we get. Eventually the dopamine level reverts to normal and we feel deprived. Halaris likens this feeling to the “post-holiday blues.” That’s why you woke up this morning feeling down, uninterested in life or generally out of sorts. Do not be alarmed. It isn’t serious and you needn’t seek professional help unless you’re predisposed to depression.
So, blue football fan, what can you do to ease your symptoms? Especially if you’re a Niners fan.
“Try, for the next few weeks, to recapture some elements that contributed to the sense of enjoyment you felt during the sporting season,” Halaris said. “If you were watching games with friends, get together, talk about it, reminisce, or replay games so you can go back and relive the experience until the withdrawal fades away.”
Do not go cold-turkey. Instead, wean yourself. Watch highlights or entire games on YouTube or your DVR, tapering off until you’re feeling better. Share your thoughts and feelings with fellow fans. Play a little Madden 13. And remember, this too shall pass. The 2013 season begins in just 10 months. Chin up, sport.
“You’re just going to have to basically tough it out until football starts up again,” Halaris said.
A Doctor's Prescription for Surviving Football Withdrawal
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A Doctor's Prescription for Surviving Football Withdrawal
