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Internal family systems


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Has anyone heard of internal family system therapy? Any experience with it?

my therapist mentioned it, something to do with addressing different parts of our sub personalities.

anyone know if this is effective?

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I read that as 'infernal family system'.

Have you seen this vid(I hadn't heard of it either).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdZZ7sTX840&t=25s&ab_channel=InternalFamilySystems-IFSInstitute

You know we were talking about those people who don't respond to medication and several treatments, and how particularly the Americans are willing to try radical approaches. I even read that one State was legalising psilocybin so that trials could be carried out.

But I also think we need to remember that the NHS has used ECT for decades to treat severe disorders. I wouldn't recommend that either.

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Thanks both. That video is useful. If we do this in my therapy, I’ll be sure to report back.

@howard yes I saw that. I’ve become pretty fascinated with the subject and it’s a good distraction for me at the moment. I’m reading Michael Pollan’s book on the subject.

next month I’m going to a talk by Dr Chris Timmermann from the London Imperial college centre for psychedelic research who’s going to talk about his work with DMT and other psychedelics. There’s various programs going on there. The DMT study doesn’t even require treatment resistance….and you get paid….it’s quite tempting.

my wife’s not keen on the idea because I’d have to stop citalopram for 2 weeks.

Im fascinated though by this idea that the experience kinda dissolves the ego and allows less rigid thinking. I can see how this could work for me.

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I've just watched the video, howard. Waffle, waffle. The info in itself isn't outright wrong, but jeepers he couldn't make a simple idea more complicated if he tried. :dry:

I think some psychologists/ so-called therapists complicate this stuff to convince people think they have something special to offer when really all they're saying is standard CBT stuff twisted into knots.

My advice @OB1UK  is don't get sidetracked into thinking it's something different. You can sumarise it in a simple sentence - having an anxiety response is normal and healthy, it's when the response gets out of proportion to the risk that it causes problems.

Therapy (of any kind) is about getting your emotional response back in proportion to the actual risk. That may require a change in your thinking and the beliefs you've adopted (cognitive therapy) and/ or learning a better way to respond instead of doing compulsions/ treating the anxiety as a real threat - also known as behavioural therapy.

In short - standard CBT.

Your therapist may have mentioned Internal Family Systems for a variety of reasons, most likely that they have training in it so think within that framework themselves. If in doubt, ask them to reframe it in simpler terms. They should be both willing and able to do so.

3 minutes ago, OB1UK said:

I’ve become pretty fascinated with the subject and it’s a good distraction for me at the moment.

Great. Just remember to keep your eye on the goal - to change your thought processes away from thinking obsessively, and to change your behavioural response away from unwarranted and unhelpful hyperanxiety. :)

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@snowbear I think I mentioned before I’m not super convinced yet by my therapist, which is kinda why I asked the question. I’ve had CBT before so if I find this different, I’ll report back.

The Michael Pollan book is useful beyond being a distraction. There’s lots of useful stuff about the nature of destructive patterns of thought and about the self and how it shapes our thinking.

 

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14 minutes ago, OB1UK said:

@snowbear I think I mentioned before I’m not super convinced yet by my therapist, which is kinda why I asked the question. I’ve had CBT before so if I find this different, I’ll report back.

The Michael Pollan book is useful beyond being a distraction. There’s lots of useful stuff about the nature of destructive patterns of thought and about the self and how it shapes our thinking.

 

I think we must always be open minded about everything. The mind is obviously incredibly complex. And everbody is unique.

I liked the part about standing back from your inner critic, almost studying it objectively from a space. It changes the relationship. But that was only  3 min intro and he is in his seventies(funny when his audience rembered the list and helped him out).

There are few writers like Michael Pollon who have such a wide range of knowledge that they often have insights that change the way we think, the way we view ourselves and the world around us. They move from field to field, subject to subject and make new or interesting connections. Umberto Eco is another favourite of mine, mind enhancing.

I liked the part where he talks about the reason natural plants have these psychedelic substances. They produce it as a defense mechanism. 

 

 

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39 minutes ago, snowbear said:

I've just watched the video, howard. Waffle, waffle. The info in itself isn't outright wrong, but jeepers he couldn't make a simple idea more complicated if he tried. :dry:

I think some psychologists/ so-called therapists complicate this stuff to convince people think they have something special to offer when really all they're saying is standard CBT stuff twisted into knots.

I didn't actually view the video but I had earlier looked into the people behind the Internal Family Systems and came to the conclusion that there is nothing bad about it.  However I would put it down as general counselling that would cover a large range of psychlogical issues.  I do agree from what I read that they do seem to want to over complicate things.  In some instances one might get help that is just as effective by sitting and talking to a group of wise old folks.

I always find it useful to look into the people behind things to see what their motives are.

I also noted that after extensive searching I could not find any mention of this therapy in 'mainstream' sources.

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Hi    You seen to be doing a consumer survey of therapy. It will take a long time as there are many hundreds of therapies. If you suffer from OCD then CBT is the evidenced treatment for this condition. As mentioned on another thread, the ideas of Paul Gilbert have been added to this approach.

Edited by Angst
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I thought that was another interesting comment by Michael Pollan. He said something like the ones who could do with opening their minds would never try anything that did that. I suppose they set limits that make them feel safe.

Rigid thinking isn't just limited to those with OCD, but also those who restrict themselves. How do people protect their rigid thinking and inability to explore and incorporate new ideas and concepts; scepticism, unwillingness to even explore new ideas or possibilities, thinking there is only one answer, one way, believing there is some single authority, running through the same old script.

So while psychedelics can reset your mind to a point before it became rigid and you see the world as you did as a child, I equally found doing a degree opened my mind; transcending limited binary thinking, thousands of new ideas and concepts, new perspectives. The more you open your mind the more willing you become to accept more new ideas and perspectives, it sort of exponentially expands your mind and consciousness.

Both in different ways give you back that awe and wonder at the world around us.

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@OB1UK As you find doing all this research helps and distracts you. Have you considered doing a degree?, (or a Masters/PHD if you already have).

MP was saying that he was glad he waited until he was sixty before trying psilocybin, because he thought his mind was becoming more rigid in it's thinking.

I think doing a degree later than when you are eighteen has a similar effect. That will totally focus your thinking away from your past.

 

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@howard I can understand what you mean. My problem is that I have a full time job and need to support 3 kids. Also my son has cerebral palsy, and requires a lot of attention.

I think I’d struggle with the time. I’ll take my mind expansion when I can get it.

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9 minutes ago, OB1UK said:

@howard I can understand what you mean. My problem is that I have a full time job and need to support 3 kids. Also my son has cerebral palsy, and requires a lot of attention.

I think I’d struggle with the time. I’ll take my mind expansion when I can get it.

Understood, you've already got a lot on.

I believe that self education is the best it leads to unique thinking, I would read one book and that would lead to three others. At uni it just gave me more access to books through their library, but really I was just choosing subjects that interested me, some tutor recommends.

Get back to us after Dr Chris Timmermann talk.

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