In her recent appearance on the program Dr. Oh’s Golden Clinic, LOONA‘s Chuu discussed her personal experience dealing with stress and stress-induced binge eating disorder.
Chuu revealed that her unhealthy habit of eating an excessive amount of excessively spicy foods began as a means to deal with stress. When Dr. Oh Eun Young asked the idol to identify the source of her stress, Chuu hesitated before admitting it likely stems from “trying to be positive all the time, even when things aren’t so positive.”
I noticed that I try to sound even brighter whenever I don’t feel as happy.
— Chuu
For Chuu—well-known and adored for her optimistic and bubbly personality, the desire to be “cheerful” in front of the camera hasn’t always been so troubling. She explained that “because becoming a singer had been [her] dream since childhood,” she was determined for the fans to see only her brightest moments once she debuted.
Naturally, though, over time, this led her to be incapable of sharing her deeper, truer feelings with others. And soon, Chuu commented, this incapability had left her feeling incredibly lonely; She couldn’t even take solace in her family.
I’m all bright and cheerful outside the house. But once I’m home alone, I feel incredibly lonely. During the holidays… It’s like I don’t know what to do with myself. So holidays have been really tough for me.
— Chuu
Chuu quickly teared up and broke down in tears as she revealed that she had to cut off contact with her mom for about six months. When she “felt like something was going very wrong with [her] life,” she finally tried to open up and ask her mom for advice.
Her mom, unfortunately, told her to “hang in there and get through it.” While, in retrospect, Chuu understood that her mom meant the best for her, she couldn’t help but feel unseen and unheard at the time. Feeling discouraged by the words and not seen at all, Chuu explained that she decided to keep some distance from her mom. The episode became even more emotional as Chuu commented, “It was overall a really, really dark time for [her].”
After hearing about the idol’s struggles, Dr. Oh wholeheartedly suggested that Chuu takes away one thing from the show: The fans will not leave even when she displays emotions that are not “happy all the time.” Dr. Oh encouraged Chuu to “learn how to recognize all the emotions and express them, too.” The idol agreed and promised to work on doing more with all of her feelings.
Chuu, no one will leave your side for you having feelings. So I really hope you learn how to recognize all the emotions and express them, too. It’s natural to have different feelings, so let yourself have them. And by doing so, I know you’ll be able to continue pursuing your dream and doing what you love doing for a long, long time.
— Dr. Oh Eun Young
Thankfully, Chuu also added, she and her mom communicate now. Though recent, she and her mom have broken the silence and the idol gets the support she needs from her family!
Watch the full clip here.
