Why some of us feel COVID guilt and why it's OK
NEW YORK - At a time when there is so much sorrow around us, there's also feeling guilty that you're okay while family, friends, and neighbors are suffering.
"Many, many different types of negative emotions going on and at the same time, some people are feeling that there is something also nice about being quarantined," said Dr. Raquel Bild-Libbin, a Miami-based licensed psychologist.
She said she coined the term "COVID guilt" when she started to hear how people were feeling bad about having positive experiences during the coronavirus pandemic.
"COVID guilt is more the ability to have joy, to really feel like there is a silver lining here," Bild-Libbin said. "Like we are so fortunate to be able to enjoy certain things in spite of everything that's happening.
She added that no one should be embarrassed about feeling this way.
"People very secretly are coming in touch with what are some of the positive things that have emerged out of this crisis," she said.
You can do things to feel better and not feel guilty. Bild-Libbin said you can pay it forward.
"We need to think about giving back and in some kind of way look after others so that we are able to balance the guilt with doing something that is pro-social," she said. "Which is so important to also feeling good."
If you are lucky enough to have a job, be with your family and be healthy, then enjoy it, Bild-Libbin said. It is a blessing because there may come a different time when life will throw us a curveball.