What Does IFS Therapy Look Like for Depressed and ADHD clients?
IFS Therapy is groundbreaking for ADHD clients, especially those that experience depression as well. IFS Therapy works by getting to know the different Parts of you. This includes the Parts that are less helpful, like the ones that take away your energy, focus, and ability to complete simple tasks. Throughout this, you and your IFS therapist work to understand the Part’s job and how it is trying to help. Finally, you see if it’s willing to step back and not work so hard. I go in-depth further on the therapy process here.
ADHD and Depression are like siblings that look alike but aren’t twins. Depression and ADHD share many symptoms in common. Symptoms like difficulty with attention, decision making, motivation, low mood and energy, negative self-talk, and even suicidal thinking are all symptoms that overlap ADHD and Depression. Those with ADHD are way more likely to have depression than neurotypical adults too. Oftentimes, it takes treating the depression to find that ADHD has been lurking behind the curtain the entire time. IFS Therapy gives a quick look into what’s occurring biologically to better understand what’s occurring.
IFS Therapy to Get To Know Your Depression and ADHD
In IFS Therapy, one of the first things that occur is focusing on the Depression Part. Once the client has a good presence with it, the therapist and client explore it further. This usually includes describing it, seeing how it affects other parts, and what its job is. I’ve found that clients with an underlying biological depression will describe it as something ‘separate from the other parts in the system. It’s something that’s always been there and has just grown over life. Depressed Parts also get described using environmental or elemental components. Black Holes, Dark Waves, and Voids are some of the things I’ve heard. This rings true with ADHD, though it usually is described as an Energy, Bouncing, or Jittering Part. If you are having trouble describing it, you can always use creative techniques such as journaling to learn more about it.
Figure Out How Much Is Biological
One of the trickier parts in treating depression with IFS is that you are never going to have the part “fully relax”. Depression is very much a biological disease that needs to be managed over a lifetime. Don’t fret, there is hope. One question I always ask a Depression Part is “how much of [the Depressed Part] is biological and how much of it is based on what it’s accumulated over life”. This question almost always results in a biological component of less than 50%. The good news means there is at least 50% of the part that it holds from life. This is the 50% that IFS therapy can really work to release.
Accept Depression In The System
One of the last things I focus on when treating Depressed Parts through IFS Therapy is working with the rest of the system. I’ve found often that there are parts that hate the Depressed Part, resent its effects, and want to kick it out. This is a natural reaction by the Parts and perfectly okay. They’ve been pushed around by the Depressed Part for a long time. The Depressed Part doesn’t want to do this either and just wants to be accepted in the system. An agreement between the Parts and the Depressed Part is needed to keep the system balanced going forward. Something that allows the Depressed Part to be present so it can be continually worked on. This will feel like the phrase “making friends with your depression” is coming to life.