There are few situations in life as devastating as a show-hole. I know you know the feeling I'm talking about. We've all been there.

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The stages of show-hole grief

You've been binging a show that totally gets you. It's your vibe, your jam, your everything. Sometimes you've been watching the show for years, other times you may have only discovered it last weekend (when you had another stark realization about the fragility of your social life). Regardless, you've been pounding that show ever since with reckless abandon, like you used to pound Smirnoff Ice in college. Even when you try to meter it out, like saving the red M&Ms for last, it's impossible. You can't stop yourself. You must continue.

As you close in on the final episode, you start to get misty-eyed at the thought of reaching the end, but you press on anyway. You simply must.

The final episode begins. You settle in, your bowl of ice cream in hand. This is it. Here we go. Let's do it. You think you're prepared. You know what's coming, and you can handle it.

There it is. It was everything. All the loose ends are tied up, or you're left totally hanging by a thread, but it's over. There is no more. You feel content for having finished the series. You've sobbed your eyes out. And now it is finished.

All of the sudden, out of nowhere, the grief strikes. Your beloved is no longer. They've moved on. And you're still… here.

Options for how to survive

Dear reader, you too can survive the devastation you're experiencing. A frequent show-holer myself, and not just some lofty therapist, I've determined there are exactly three courses of action to help you move on from your show-hole hell.

1. Rebound

Out with the old, in with the new

Nothing can make you feel better faster than getting back in the sack with a new fling. Sometimes your rebound may resemble the show you just finished. Other times it may be a complete departure. Sometimes it may be quick and fun but not last. Other times it can turn into a deeper connection that lasts a long time. Either way, the good news is you're moving on and making new connections right out of the gate.

2. Give it another chance

Because lightning doesn't strike the same place twice

Sometimes you just can't get past all the good memories of you and your old show. Maybe, just maybe, if you play your cards right, you can spend more time together and make it work for a little bit longer. Maybe you'll keep it more casual at first, just one or two nights a week. Rewatch a favorite episode here or there. You wouldn't want to jump in the deep end right away.

3. Going back to your old flame

Maybe it's time to rekindle

Call me a Xennial clinging to my early 2000s relics, but I have a collection of DVD TV series that could fill a small U-Haul. And among these I keep a collection of my old faithful lovers — the Golden Girls, Will & Grace, and others. You probably have these too. You don't watch them all the time, but you can always go back and feel like it's right where I left off.

Moving on

The sinking feeling in your gut may never completely go away. It'll be with you, at the very least, for quite a while. You'll miss the companionship and connection. But you'll find that feeling again.

As they say, the show must go on.