Giving up Harry Potter harder than giving up smoking

A study found that about 10% of Harry Potter fans show symptoms of withdrawal "in just the way that drug addicts do" following the writing and publication of the seventh, and final, book.

"Depression, loss of appetite and sleeplessness" were experienced by one in every ten fans examined after finishing the last book in the series.

A further 20% admitted being on the verge of addiction and, considering the number of volumes that have been sold in the series (400 million), this could have quite an impact.

Professor Rudski, of Muhlenberg College, Pennsylvania, said: "An addiction to a drug is no different from an addiction to Harry Potter or the Internet or pornography.

"It's not always a bad thing. There's a community that you get with Harry Potter that you don't get with heroin. "

"After finishing the series, ten per cent of fans spent over four hours a day on Potter-related activities, experiencing interference with appetite and sleep, engaging in less physical activity, having a lower sense of well-being and being more irritable." Wait! Aren't they describing your normal, day-to-day, Harry Potter geek?

Some even said: "I have nothing to live for now" or "I feel like someone close to me has died". Wow! I thought the same thing when I finished "Deathly Hallows" last summer (the part with someone close dying)...

But hold on, I don't see myself going out in the middle of the night and selling "Potter dope" to under-aged people, fueling their ever-increasing need of... "Pot"...get it? Pot - Potter...Oh, never mind...

- source: Dailymail -