IFS Therapy is amazing for ADHD and Anxiety. I’ve written why IFS therapy works for people with ADHD before. The goal of IFS therapy is to find the Parts that are trying to help in unhelpful ways. This usually looks like avoiding tasks, yelling and arguing at people, cause panic attacks, or think of all the worse things that can happen. These parts all have great intentions but usually make people feel terrible and make things worse in the long run. IFS therapy works to locate these parts, get to know them, and see what they are afraid of happening. Together You and Your Parts work to come up with ways to relax and handle situations going forward. I dive deeper into the process here.
ADHD and Anxiety have a tendency to be found together. ADHD comes with some painful wounds. Some examples are punishments as a child from adults appearing lazy, unorganized, or not following directions. These are not a result of poor behavior, but rather difficulty staying on task and making decisions. With many of the clients I’ve worked with, this snowballs to anxiety about work, school, and relationships. IFS Therapy can work to reduce this anxiety.
Learn More About Anxiety Parts
IFS Therapy for Anxiety and ADHD Parts starts with getting to know more about the part that is anxious. I’ve found that anxious parts tend to be parts that have been recruited by Anxiety. These parts may normally analyze situations to make sure they are safe, plan out tasks, or help organize the person’s environment. Anxiety will take these parts and push them to the extreme. Reducing these parts’ role often requires working with both the Anxiety Part and the Part that’s been ‘recruited to help. For those that have trouble with this, or tend to be more creative, I recommend Journaling Prompts for Anxious Parts to help the process.
Figure Out What Anxiety and ADHD Are Made Of
Anxiety has found many forms. Some of my recent clients have described it as an Octopus because it is smart, has its hand in everything, and doesn’t want to let go. Others have described it as tense energy. The way people see their Anxiety and ADHD in IFS Therapy is different for everyone. There are some commonalities. Most of these have biological components, meaning they are there because it’s a biological disorder. These parts will give you a percentage of how much is biological, and how much are life’s pains and memories.
IFS Therapy for Anxiety and ADHD: Self Acceptance
Anxiety and ADHD parts are trying to help. In their attempt to help, they make enemies of the parts they take over and push aside. A lot of the work in IFS therapy is to bring all the Parts back into the system to be in touch with You. This takes a lot of compromise, presence, and compassion to your parts. This kind of self-acceptance works similarly to most other therapies that offer self-acceptance. I’ve found the way IFS does is way more transformative. Making friends with your Anxiety and ADHD is key to finding healing in the system. IFS Therapy for ADHD and Anxiety will help those move forward with confidence and clarity.