The Atlantic

<em>Social Distance</em>: You’re Doing Great

Lori Gottlieb of “Dear Therapist” gives advice on how to care for yourself during the pandemic.

Over the weekend, the surgeon general warned the public that, due to the rising death toll from the coronavirus pandemic, this week would be “the hardest and saddest week of most Americans’ lives,” comparing it to Pearl Harbor and 9/11. And President Donald Trump himself, who has often sought to downplay the danger of the virus, said on Saturday that there will be “a lot of death.” With the number of COVID-19 deaths continuing to creep up, lots of Americans will be grieving in the weeks and months ahead.

On this episode of the podcast Social Distance, Katherine Wells and James Hamblin call Lori Gottlieb, the author of The Atlantic’s weekly “Dear Therapist” column, to answer listeners’ questions about supporting loved ones, dealing with depression, and grieving during the pandemic.

What follows is an edited and condensed transcript of their conversation.

Listen to the episode here:

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