Internal System

Internal System

            Avoidant John

As emphasized by Schwartz, the internal family system model comprises of three subpersonalities that include managers, exiles, and firefighters. Every part has its own perspective, memories, interests, and viewpoint. A key principle of the Internal Family System model is that every part comprises a positive intent for an individual, even if the effects or actions are cause dysfunction or counterproductive. Thus, there is no reason to coerce, fight with, or try to eliminate a part. The IFS enhances internal harmony and connection. Prioritization of these parts under the IFS model revolves around the need for transformation through therapy.

In the case of exile part, it involves pain, shame, fear, trauma from childhood, and the other parts have a responsibility to exiles this part from coming out (consciousness) and ensure the pain does not come to the surface.  Avoidant personal disorder was as a result of extreme shyness, sensitivity, and feeling of inadequacy. The effects also involved unwillingness to get involved with other people unless I was certain of being liked, being anxious about criticism or rejected, and perception of not being good enough or social clumsy. The avoidance personality developed as a result of the past experiences that serve as exiles such as fear, failing to accept yourself, and harsh school environment.

Managers provided protective roles and defined the manner in which an individual interacts with the external, and it ensures you are not hurt by others. With an avoidant personality, managers handle issues that could hurt and try to prevent the painful feelings of enhancing the system to run on a day-to-day level. It control relationship and prevents it against that hurt, abandonment, and rejection by scanning danger.

In the case of firefighters in avoidance situation becomes active when an exile is at risk of being exposed. Firefighting manifested itself in the form of self-isolating, overreacting, and also excessively focusing on overworking.

Inner critic means an inner voice that criticizes and judges, resulting in demeaning of an individual irrespective of whether self-criticism is objectively justified. When the inner critic is high, it affects well-being and self-esteem. In the case of avoidance issues, self-esteem and confidence are low, affecting the much-needed adjustment to the external world.  The inner critic affects an individual and has played a critical role in defining and shaping the identity and sense of Self. It questions every decision while also undermining each accomplishment subjecting an individual with a difficult feeling of shame, guilt, and inadequacy.

In the case of Dr. Schwartz’s theory on how to approach the parts, he emphasize on Self. IFS theory perceives people as being whole underneath the collection the aforementioned collection of parts. The theory asserts that every person has a true self or spiritual center which is “Self” and is distinguished from each part. Dr. Schwartz insists that even people whose experiences have been dominated by parts, they still have access to the Self and healing revolves around the connectedness, compassion, calmness, and curiosity. The internal Self prioritizes the relationship that exists between the Self and parts. Its goal remains to develop a co-operative and trusting relationship between the Self and each part. It accomplishes this goal by reflecting on three types of relationships that include protection, alliance, and polarization. Protection is provided by managers and firefighting, where they focus to spare exiles from pain. Polarization arises when two parts when they are battling each other to determine what an individual should feel or react in a particular situation. Each part competes to ensure it influences and act as it does counter the extreme behavior. Alliance arises between parts if they are working together to accomplish the same goal.

The therapist uses the model to identify and understand sub-personalities or families that make up an internal mental system. After identification of the parts, the intervention of a therapist assists in acknowledging the feelings about the repressed emotions and outline the various ways to release these feelings enabling an individual to address the actual problem. It also assists an individual to find ways to manage conflict on their own. It is the responsibility of a therapist to highlight tools that can help affected individuals to manage conflicts such as relaxation exercises, visualization, creating a chart that illustrates the relationship between Self and the parts. Healing, transformation, and better management of parts can be accomplish by the Self through accomplishing three goals of Internal Family System that include restore trust in the Self, freeing the parts from their extreme parts, and upholding coordination and harmonization of the Self and parts to enable them to work together as a team with the Self in charge.

In my opinion, this theory provides an effective strategy to deal with trauma. It gives the therapist an idea of how to address some trauma or issues experienced by their client. It gives an individual a chance to reflect on issues that have hindered their normal life in the long-run. The theory presents a platform where therapists and clients can engage and focus on improving the situation of a client.

I think this is a viable way to honor on grounds; it enables the therapist to get to the root of the problem experienced by the client and address it from that perspective. The strategy adopted by Dr. Schwartz presents a platform to a client to reflect and evaluate their life. It is a way for the client to understand themselves and do away with issues that have contributed to parts that conflict with Self. Striping these parts very fast in a therapeutic experience would not enable the client to understand themselves and voluntarily deal with their issues.

There is a possibility of re-traumatizing the client since they might not understand themselves and thus more complexing as they try to improve on their situation. It is important for the client and therapists to uphold or follow a procedure that can enable them to realize a solid solution in the long-run.

In the event I could integrate these parts and size them to ensure no overreacting and no longer overprotecting, I would appreciate the success of the process and embrace my new me. It also means developing a new perspective many things that led to overreacting and overprotection. In the future, I would focus on perfecting this theory to ensure my clients will always overcome their trauma and other issues that hinder overcoming parts and Self. For clients and children of dysfunctional (alcoholic) families system, this theory can enable them to understand their parents. As a therapist, the theory would enable the client to understand what their parents were experiencing (parts) and opted for various ways to overcome or manage. Alcohol enables people to manage their situation by controlling the exiles (pain, shame, and shyness, among others). Thus, I would use this theory to assist the client in understanding their problem by having a new perspective on life as they try to battle with exiles. It is about focusing on shame, shyness, and pain, among other exiles they experience when they compare themselves with other people. The theory assists in developing new Self by reducing the conflict that exists between parts as they believe each one of them has a right to define the behavior or reaction an individual should uphold.