Your Pandemic Sadness Is Called ‘Ambiguous Loss’

Therapist Pauline Boss explains why it’s harder to grieve in the face of uncertainty—and why ambiguous loss is everywhere in 2021

Jude Ellison S. Doyle

Aug 17·5 min read

A man drinks coffee alone and stares out his window. It’s about as fun as you’d think. — We’re stuck mourning a world that isn’t gone, but also isn’t here. Photo by Nubelson Fernandes on Unsplash

I spent most of the pandemic grieving, though, at the time, I didn’t think I was sad about the pandemic itself. Everyone around me seemed to have specific losses…