Anhedonia, or why Breaking Bad ended when we feel empty

the Leftovers has every chance of becoming the next case of anhedonia mass.

It is quite possible you, dear reader, from enjoying a lot watching Breaking Bad during his five seasons. So much so that when he finished the last episode, with that epic and comforting end, felt a sense of emptiness. CNN spoke to depression after the final between his fans. Reddit we can find otros examples. Also in forums and generally in any conversation about the series. Of course, it is not limited to Breaking Bad: any series or literary saga, when it comes to an end, you can leave that feeling of emptiness in their fans, especially those of greater intensity and playing deeper emotions. Lost, Harry Potter, Friends … there are a thousand examples. What exactly that feeling of emptiness?

“It happened to me with Sons of Anarchy ,” says psychologist Francisco Tabernero. “You feel a drop in your mood, and you’re missing reinforcers. The enhancers are the great moments of your day to have an element of hope. These are special moments.” So, get home from work, lie down on the couch and watch favorite beer series in hand, it is perhaps the quintessential enhancer everyday for many people. “When the booster is over, that is, the series comes to an end, the mood decays”.

Anhedonia is the loss of ability to experience pleasure. Along with apathy, which is the loss of motivation, it is a symptom of depression. The end of a series that connect, that filled us leave slight signs of both Normally, this mechanism leads to a prospect or subjective expectation associated negative thinking: “I’ll never have an equal”. Which leads to the apathy. “Apathy is the lack of motivation. When you stay without doing anything.” It is one of the two symptoms of depression. The other is the anhedonia, which is the loss of ability to experience pleasure. Occurs when negative situations that hinder that feeling of pleasure with other sources of boosters are given

“It is the current model of depression more scientifically supported.. Loss enhancers + negative thoughts When the two come together, everything he assessed as negative, it is passed to pessimism: losing a job, leaving him with a girlfriend, etc. a milder level, this happens when you end a series that is delivered: is not extreme, but it is important as a reinforcer. ” For a depression to be considered as such, the two factors have to come together and sustained over time for at least two weeks. With the series or other forms of entertainment, this is not last more than a day or two.

The pessimistic side comes with the expectation, the classic “I’ll never see another like it.” However, this passes quickly: “It’s not a serious problem, so soon disappears His solution is as simple as passing play console hooked to a book or start another series Just cost you a few.. chapters accept that this series is also great, but eventually you spend anhedonia. “

Another psychologist, Valencia Alberto Soler, change the view: “I approach it more anhedonia or to draw a parallel with depression, the true parallelism that has is with addictive behavior, brain enhancers, etc.” Again, enhancers. It also shows that sometimes the consumption pattern resembles that of many drugs: binges , or “binge”. We see many chapters in a row and feel that we need more and more.

It also suggests that there are studies that shows that we tend to remember best incomplete things that yes we could finish. “This is what was behind the cliffhanger that annoy us so much of this type of series and contributing to need more.”

So, according to Alberto, “that emptiness would be a kind of withdrawal or mono, we would have to fill with other things to make sense of our time, as also occurs in a process of withdrawal of a drug. “

The psychologist also Eparquio Delgado, but it shuns the label for any situation, points to another interesting aspect: each series has a number of situations, characters and stimuli can be very reinforcing to people based on their personal history, biography, learning. A greater number of stimuli and reinforcements has a number greater emotional connection and dependence you could create.

The personal history of each determines the relationship that we can have a number. From there, we feel the same as with any good thing that we run, an empty inside “It’s not the series, is the relationship that you establish with the series. It has to do with personal history each.” And again, refers to that empty feeling when finished. “It is the same when any good thing in life is over. It filled, you love fills you, and suddenly it’s gone. You feel empty inside.” In his opinion, like when a couple is lost at different scales

He himself gives the example of when another element is added. The difficulty to find a good series like it as much as he has finished. “. Influences hopelessness think alas, you’ll have to go to the other, and no convincing Perhaps you see the first episodes and can not find the same feeling..”

A cinephile metaphor: “also happens when you see a second film with the expectations of the first. it usually disappoint if approached in this way. this starts with the Tiger and the Snow. After Life is Beautiful, it was believed that the next film by Roberto Benigni was to offer the same, but no. They influence expectations. “

the final advice to avoid dealing with this situation and do better the bitter swill gives Francisco Tabernero. Could be summarized in distribute the eggs in more baskets: “if we talk about a negative situation, or aversive in psychological terms, we can protect ourselves with a lifestyle that does not rely solely Enhancer If you leave with. your girlfriend is a bad situation. But if your life depends on your girlfriend, you are not enhancers. If you have more sources instead as groups of friends, family, hobbies , work, etc. you will be better protected in the face of depression Likewise with anhedonia.. see several series simultaneously and have more enhancers (books, video games, etc) that can replace one of them guarantee a less traumatic end the question is: do you really we want to give up that gap, that distress?

Hypertext