Did you know the end of a TV show can cause depression?  I couldn’t believe it when I first read about it months ago in a Health.com article by Caroline Murray.  But with the cancellation of television programs I’ve grown up with (after four decades on the air, ABC axed All My Children and One Life to Live), I’m starting to understand.  For better or worse, we are a country hooked on TV.  The average American spends 9 years of his or her life watching TV! With House ending after eight years this season (yes, it's official) and the future of shows like Community and Cougartown up in the air and veteran programs like Mad Men and How I Met Your Mother possibly leaving us next year, many more viewers might have to grapple with this surprising cause of depression. 

Here are 4 ways to get over the grief of losing a TV show:

1.  Read a book.  I know it’s a revolutionary thought.  But read something you consider fun.  For some of us, it’s sci-fi novels.  For others of us, it’s autobiographies of our favorite celebrities.  Personally, I enjoy books about art, style, and science--those dealing with astronomy and archeology especially.  After a long day of school or work, the thought of reading more may seem tiresome.  But even reading half a chapter of something you enjoy can keep you sane.  

                I understand that some of us may be living with disabilities that make it hard to sit up and read a book.  Due to physical illness, I was once bedridden for over a year.  Hearing books on tape or having my laptop read CNN.com articles kept my mind sharp.  I highly recommend it if you are incapable of reading a book the old-fashioned way.   

2.  Replace your TV time with a new hobby.  (Or you can resume an old hobby.)  Learn something like painting, Pilates, ballroom dancing lessons, or do-it-yourself projects around the house.  You can also do something productive while watching TV.  Some of the fittest people I know are people who do the treadmill or other forms of exercise while watching television.  As for me, when I’m watching DVD sets of favorite programs like I Love Lucy, The Twilight Zone, or Quantum Leap, I like to paint landscapes.  Painting watercolors makes me feel productive.  

3.  Find community with other fans.  If you’re gonna be watching old clips of One Life to Live on YouTube (guilty as charged!), you may as well bond with other fans through YouTube comments or online forums.  (Word of caution: Do this in moderation.  If you’re spending five hours watching the show everyday six months after it’s been cancelled, you might need to seek professional help.)  

                Finding community keeps you from being isolated and it reminds you that life is about people-not fictional characters on television.  Friendships can start with a mutual pop cultural interest and become something deeper.  I went to an All My Children (AMC) event, A Tribute to Pine Valley, with my cousin’s wife, Michelle.  The day was a real bonding experience for us.  While it was fun to see some of our favorite actors share four decades of memories, at the end of the day it was about family.  Actually, that’s what it’s always about, which brings me to my next point...

4.  Remember what or whom is most important in life.  When you’ve been watching a TV program for a long time, it’s easy to forget what’s most important.  But life really is about family and friends.  And for some of us, faith.  These are the ties that bind–not any television program no matter how exciting.  If you’ve become satisfied with “chatting” online or looking at Facebook pictures while watching TV, maybe it’s time to breathe new life into some of those relationships by actually leaving the house and seeing the ones you love.  

                My refrigerator is plastered with pictures of my nieces and nephews.  While I will miss seeing the latest gown Susan Lucci’s Erica Kane is donning or the latest trials and tribulations of Victoria Lord Buchanan, I can’t think of any faces I’d rather see everyday than my adorable nieces and nephews.  For people you can’t see on a regular basis, because of distance, illness, or other obstacles, it is important to keep tangible reminders--a photo in your wallet or a framed picture by your bedside of you and your best friend who’s thousands of miles away.  

Your Flipswitch host, Jessica Lynn Gimeno