Suffering from Breaking Bad withdrawal? Here's your step-by-step guide to recovery

That's it. It's all over. But where do we go from here? Can we really go cold turkey? Ellen E Jones has some advice for those of you hoping to wean yourself off one of TV's most addictive shows

Will life be the same after Breaking Bad? (AP)

1. Call Saul

Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) might not know how to match a shirt to a tie, but he’s surely one of the most wily and unflappable - except for that toupee - lawyers in the business. More Breaking Bad on and on and on into infinity, is what we really want, but Better Call Saul is the next best thing; an hour-long prequel focusing on how Walt’s lawyer got to be the shark he is. The good news is it’s already been green-lit. The bad news is, American channel AMC have snapped it up, so it may be some time till we get to see it in the UK, on Netflix or otherwise.

2. Remember the good times

You can’t wait that long, obviously, you’re an addict, so soothe those symptoms with this clip of a special, Breaking Bad-tribute ‘couch gag’ from The Simpsons. It features the song ‘Crystal Blue Persuasion’ by Tommy James and The Shondells, which you may remember from a key montage sequence in series 5, episode 8 of the show.

3. Catch up with some old friends

Still Jonesing? Most of the key cast have already signed up for another TV series or three. Anna Gunn (Skyler) has got the lead role in Bravo pilot Rita, Betsy Brandt (Marie) will play another put-upon wife in The Michael J Fox Show and Giancarlo Esposito (Gustavo Fring) is another calculating baddie in post-apocalyptic drama Revolution, hopefully with a much more in-tact face than when we saw him last. If you need some emotional support sooner rather than later, try Hank (Dean Norris). You can make a date with him for this very evening at 10pm, when he’ll be appearing in sci-fi drama Under The Dome on Channel 5. He plays a politician / used car salesman called Big Jim.

4. Visualise a better future

One of the fruits of Aaron Paul’s Breaking Bad celebrity was getting cast in Smashed, moving indie drama about the effects of addiction. In it he plays a recovering drinker, who along with his wife is taking his first shaky steps into a more sober and authentic new life. Think of it as a window into the life Jesse might have led, if only he’d never had Mr White for a Chemistry teacher.

5. Dance the pain away

If all else fails, if you’re struggling to see past those bleak final credits, if other television just seems like a pointless charade - stop. Take a deep breath. Then try watching this clip of Bryan Cranston dancing. See? There’s always hope.