
After catching up with a medium โ whether itโs a TV show, a movie franchise, a book series or a video game โ you will most likely experience fandom relapse.
While many may be unfamiliar with the term, only a small explanation is needed for it to suddenly click.
Fandom relapse, or fandom withdrawal, is the process of finishing all the content in a fandom โ or a fan culture built around a medium โ and the empty feeling that follows.
โI didnโt realize how much [fandoms] related to my life and where I was at that point in time โฆ it was a shock to me. I just didnโt realize the impact that fandom relapse had on [me],โ said Shane Darichuk, a third-year psychology student at Wilfrid Laurier University.
โI remember with Harry Potter when it ended,โ said Sarah McBain, president of the WLU Film Society.
โMy whole childhood was over. Because I grew up with all the books and all the movies and dressing up and all that fun stuff and once itโs over you donโt know what to do with yourself.โ
Why does this happen? First-year archaeology student Mackenzie Boyd said that โsometimes we get really bored in our own lives so then we find this great world in this fandom and weโre really excited and into it and we donโt even realize how much energy we put into it until itโs gone … thatโs the sucky part about it.โ
โ[People] get so immersed in [a fandom] that it relates to them in their own way. Itโs more than just a show; itโs like a metaphor for their actual real life situation,โ said Darichuk.
Many can attest to fandoms being there for them at just the right time to help them get through a tough week, month or even year.
The nature of fandom relapse makes it difficult to cope with. Coping methods vary from distractions, futile attempts to seek out similar material to succumbing to the void of feelings.
โI think when you get really bored and youโre at school all day and you want to come home and watch TV or read that book,โ McBain said.
โIt becomes central to your life so you have to remember to have hobbies to explore so youโve still got that when [the fandom] is gone.โ
Be that as it may, the addictive nature of fandoms will ensure that the culture surrounding it remains a flailing mess in the midst of their everyday lives.
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