How Internal Family Systems Therapy Helps To Heal Chronic Pain
Ever been told that your emotions are creating chronic pain, but you’re not sure which emotions? Introducing Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), an empowering process which identifies those emotions and what to do when they arise.
IFS refers to the internal family which exists inside of your mental system, in the form of sub personalities, otherwise known as parts. There are three types of parts:
Wounded Parts: Unresolved stress, trauma, abuse or neglect from the past
Protective Parts: Personality traits such as, people pleaser, high achiever, do-gooder, OCDs, perfectionist. Also chronic pain or fatigue bodily symptoms.
SELF Part: Understanding, compassionate, curious and confident part of us
The goal of IFS therapy is to guide the recipient towards accessing their Self part as much as possible, so that they can begin to communicate in new compassionate ways to their protective parts, and to heal their wounded parts. Protective parts try to protect the person from the pain of the wounded parts, and they show up in our mental system as emotions or sensations which we usually feel uncomfortable with. Fear, worry, anger, sadness, disappointment, frustration and even chronic pain can be a protective part being created by the brain.
As we usually find these protective parts uncomfortable, we try to get rid of them, whereas IFS therapy teaches you that they are actually there for a good reason. Most often, these protective parts were developed at an early age, inherited traits from caregivers perhaps. So instead of habitually turning away from our protective parts, IFS shows you how to embrace them and communicate with them in a new compassionate way.
When we are able to be more understanding towards our protective parts, they allow us to feel the unresolved pain from our wounded parts. As now the protective parts of us trust that we’re in a better place to be there for our wounded parts.
So How Does IFS Relate To Healing Chronic Pain?
Most people who experience chronic pain have a negative association towards it, stuck in the Pain Fear Cycle. In IFS terms, any negativity towards something is a protective part. So the first step in a session would be to facilitate a dialogue between a person's Self part (curious and compassionate) and their protective part (fear of the pain).
The direction of the dialogue would be for the Self part to address the concerns of the protective part (what are you fearful of?), thank it for its protective role, and then ask permission to speak to wounded parts. There is no anger or resentment towards protective parts, only appreciation and compassion for its protective role. Once a person accesses their wounded parts, they typically take the form of an inner child, and often have some sort of story to tell. The story which is told, gradually starts to shine a light on some of the potential emotional origins of the pain.
When wounded parts can be witnessed, reassured and shown love by the Self part, they begin to relax. Likewise, the protective parts start to recognise that they no longer need to protect the wounded parts in the way they once did (no longer need to fear the pain, safe to feel it). Establishing this new relationship to pain (Pain Safety Cycle) is critical in recovery, and IFS is a wonderful way to guide pain sufferers towards healing. In sessions, the IFS therapist merely acts as a facilitator, trusting the recipient’s internal system knows exactly how to heal.
We often mistake our internal conflict with external pain symptoms.
As well as chronic pain, IFS helps with a number of different mental health issues, including:
Feeling Stuck In Life
Anxiety/Depression/Panic Attacks
Bipolar Disorder
Eating Disorders
Addictions
Work/Life Balance
Trauma/Abuse/Neglect
Establishing And Maintaining Healthy Relationships
Chronic Stress
Chronic Guilt/Sadness/Worry/Fear
This form of therapy is very empowering, as recipient’s go away trusting their own capacity for self healing. The drastic changes which take place within a couple of sessions are life changing, as a person’s mental system returns to its natural state of equanimity.