Care Before a Crisis Takes Hold: Building a Care Network

There are times when the experience of suffering intensifies, and what once seemed possible begins to disappear from our field of experience. The feeling of isolation grows, the future seems more distant, and finding a way forward can become very difficult.

This is precisely why it is worth thinking about care before a crisis reaches its peak. Knowing who to turn to, who to talk to, and where to find support can help reduce isolation and create possible paths forward when, in the midst of suffering, they may seem not to exist.

Looking Beyond the Individual

Suffering cannot be understood simply as something that exists “within” a person. It emerges within a field of relationships: in the way a person perceives themselves and relates to the world around them, as well as in the way that world interacts with them.

This perspective broadens our view.

Instead of asking only, “What is wrong with me?”, we can expand our awareness:

• What am I noticing in myself?

• What has changed in my experience?

• Who have I been moving closer to or further away from?

• What has become more difficult to access?

• What places, activities, or people help support me when I am not doing well?

• Who do I feel safe reaching out to when I need support?

  
  

These questions can help us recognize changes in our experience and in the relationships that sustain us—changes that, in the midst of suffering, we may not always be able to notice or access.

Building a Care Network

When we are struggling deeply, we may not have the availability or energy to think about whom to turn to, where to seek help, or even how to make clear decisions. That is why thinking ahead about a care network can be so important.

We can ask ourselves:

• Who can I turn to when I am not doing well?

• Who can I talk to without having to pretend that everything is fine?

• Who can stay close without turning my suffering into judgment?

• What places or activities help me feel safer?

• What still connects me to people, my projects, and my life?

• If I notice that I am getting worse, what could be my first step toward asking for help?

  
  

A care network does not simply mean having many contacts, activities, or interests. It means recognizing who and what may be available, and how they can help when we are more vulnerable.

This does not mean believing that relationships, on their own, can resolve a situation of risk.

It means recognizing that relationships are a fundamental part of care and that, often, they are how we are able to access other resources.

When Suffering Begins to Intensify

For those working in psychotherapy, paying attention to changes in the client’s experience is essential.

A depressive crisis develops gradually: increased isolation, loss of interest or pleasure, changes in sleep and appetite, decreased energy, hopelessness, difficulty carrying out everyday activities, or a significant reduction in the possibilities the person can perceive, among other signs.

When noticing these changes, the professional can ask themselves:

• What is changing in my experience with this client?

• What is becoming more difficult to access?

• What am I noticing in the way they are experiencing their relationship with themselves, with others, and with the world?

  
  

The therapist’s attention is not focused only on identifying symptoms, but above all on changes in the person’s experience and relational field. What was once available may begin to feel inaccessible; relationships may weaken; possibilities may become increasingly narrow.

Recognizing these changes can support earlier intervention and the expansion of care when needed.

Having clear pathways for seeking help, knowing which professionals to turn to, and identifying services that can be contacted can also prevent the need to improvise during a moment of greater vulnerability. A care network needs to be concrete, accessible, and built in a way that allows it to be activated when a person has fewer resources to do so on their own.

And when we are supporting someone, we can ask ourselves:

“What still exists within this field that could support this person?”

Sometimes, we do not have a ready answer. We can, however, help find people, places, relationships, and possibilities that can make the next step possible.

Caring before a crisis takes hold also means expanding the possibilities for connection before they begin to narrow.

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Content created by Adriana Pessoa Lima, psychologist at Florescer Cuida de Você.