Character death

I'd like to think I don't typically get too attached to a book, movie or TV series character. The key word here is "Think." The reality is I get attached to characters easily. When Mufasa died in The Lion King my face was covered in tears. I still don't think I'll recover from Paul's death on Dollhouse. My lastest major blow was the death of Sirius Black in Harry Potter. Yes, I am tardy for the party, but the loss is still felt just as fresh as if I had read the books when they originally came out.

It's never easy to lose a favorite character. Often they are not even in your life that long. Slowly but surely these characters become a part of your life. You experience their joys and happiness. Their sorrows and pains. Your root for them without a doubt. They in a way become family. Or maybe this is just the case for me.

Nevertheless, when a beloved character dies, I don't handle it well. I promise you I cried like my own godfather was the one who died after reading about Sirius. I don't even know how I made it through the last few pages of the book because of all the tears. Why did his death touch me so? I think in this, and as in most cases, I recognize how losing a loved one will impact the main character. Blame me for being overly empathetic. Is there therapy available for losing a favorite character?