A Loyola University Medical Center psychiatrist has tried to describe the withdrawal symptoms that millions of fans will go through from not being able to watch football for months after the final play of the Super Bowl.
Dr. Angelos Halaris explains that when a person engages in a pleasurable activity, such as watching a football game, a neurotransmitter (brain chemical) called dopamine is released in a part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens.
When the pleasurable activity ends, the person is left with a feeling of deprivation. It's similar to what a smoker feels when deprived of a cigarette-except there's no quick fix like a cigarette for the football fan.
"When the football season is over and there's no other game on the schedule for months, you're stuck, so you go through withdrawal," Halaris said.
For hard-core fans, the feeling can be similar to post-holiday blues, Halaris said.
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Halaris offers tips for fans who suddenly have to face months without football.
He tells them to watch football on YouTube, or on recordings, in gradually diminishing amounts.
He also advises people to share their feelings of withdrawal and letdown with a friend or spouse.
While it can be unpleasant, football withdrawal is not serious enough to require antidepressants or other medications. And do not self-medicate with drugs or alcohol.
