On the Nov. 9 episode of SBS’s "My Little Old Boy", cameras followed Bae as he struggled in the aftermath of his pet’s death.
“I thought there could be no pain greater than this,” he admitted, sharing how much he’s been hurting since Belle passed.
To cope, he met with veterinarian and animal-behavior expert Seol Chae-hyun. “For the first two weeks after Belle left, I couldn’t handle being sober. I didn’t want to see anyone. I’d wake up and start drinking in the afternoon, cry until I was exhausted, fall asleep, and repeat,” Bae said.
Friends urged him to get outside, but walks made it worse. “I kept taking the routes we used to walk together. Seeing other dogs go by brought Belle right back to mind and my chest would ache,” he recalled.
Bae wondered whether what he was experiencing was “pet loss syndrome” or if his grief was unusually severe.
Seol noted Bae was showing the full spectrum of pet-loss symptoms and suggested a Pet Loss Grief Scale assessment. After carefully filling it out, Bae scored near the high-risk range.
“If this goes untreated, it could lead to PTSD,” Seol cautioned. “When only the sorrow remains, even happy memories can become painful and lead to social isolation. That’s why it’s crucial to work through it.”
There was a silver lining: “You’ve been sharing memories of Belle on social media,” Seol added. “In the past, people had no one to empathize with. Now, many are comforting, supporting, and relating to you―that kind of community can be a powerful help.”
Actor Jo Jung-suk chimed in, “I relate so much. I’ve said goodbye to pets several times, and last year I lost the dog I’d been with for a long time. I thought being an adult would make it hurt less, but no matter how much you grow, you don’t build immunity to that pain.”
Elsewhere in the episode, a teaser announced newcomer Kang Seung-yoon’s first appearance. A preview also showed Eun Ji-won returning to the show after remarrying, building anticipation for what’s next.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Hyo-jung)
