It’s another useful framework. Both seem to recognize the internal parts of our psyche. IFS is maybe more compassionate and useful for trauma healing. TA still useful especially for interpersonal relationships.
Hey, Justin, you have described the "alters" in a childhood abuse survivor with a MPD or DID, which I never saw in any of my 25K other psychiatric patients who were not bona fide MPD or DID. For those poor souls, integration into a single personality was the goal, although often not fully successful. Are you a well trained and thoroughly experienced mental health professional, or just another self-styled "expert" d jour? I suspect that you have no business promulgating Schwartz IFS hypotheses far and wide or suggesting that we are all so constructed. Gregg Miklashek, MD
I’m a patient not a professional. But this is treatment I have had and my understanding is it is a useful model for everyone because everyone has these parts to some varying degree. Doesn’t everyone have responses to life that stem from their inner child’s fears? Isn’t this a simple way to exercise addressing perhaps dysfunctional core beliefs? I think that’s what the professional I work with believes and from what I understand IFS is widely used for this.
And like… yeah I have a lazy side and an ambitious side to me. That doesn’t mean I’m MPD. It means I’m human. And it has been useful to have a little internal dialogue with each side of myself to get at the root of whatever hesitations or anxieties I might have. It’s been empowering.
Hi Gregg, that's a pretty strange comment for a psychiatrist to make. The IFS model is quite clearly not describing MPD, it is just breaking down a useful framework for how one may view one's psyche. Also, Justin is quite clearly only offering it as a framework that he has found useful, with the understanding that others may also, as i do. He is not selling it or preaching it or pretending to be an expert or professional. I would of thought this is all pretty clear in his post...
This was an interesting thing to find on Substack, I was following the thread of a restack of another essay about not fussing over the fall of the American Empire. Which is easy to say for some, and might overlook a lot of others. But I'm happy to see any reference to Dick Schwartz here, my exploring IFS with a therapist has not been the most helpful part of my recovery from Trauma but it's very insightful and has informed the other work that I've been doing. I got a lot out of the Parts book, especially the audio version. It's worth noting that the last year of this work for me has been far, far more helpful than the 30 previous years of psychiatric 'help' for addiction, bipolar 1, an eating disorder, and more. I'm on way less medication and more stable yet I could provide a list of the harmful interactions I've had with men and women who actually went to medical school, most have been less than helpful at best.
It’s another useful framework. Both seem to recognize the internal parts of our psyche. IFS is maybe more compassionate and useful for trauma healing. TA still useful especially for interpersonal relationships.
Thanks for sharing that link. Sounds like some synchronicity!
Hey, Justin, you have described the "alters" in a childhood abuse survivor with a MPD or DID, which I never saw in any of my 25K other psychiatric patients who were not bona fide MPD or DID. For those poor souls, integration into a single personality was the goal, although often not fully successful. Are you a well trained and thoroughly experienced mental health professional, or just another self-styled "expert" d jour? I suspect that you have no business promulgating Schwartz IFS hypotheses far and wide or suggesting that we are all so constructed. Gregg Miklashek, MD
I’m a patient not a professional. But this is treatment I have had and my understanding is it is a useful model for everyone because everyone has these parts to some varying degree. Doesn’t everyone have responses to life that stem from their inner child’s fears? Isn’t this a simple way to exercise addressing perhaps dysfunctional core beliefs? I think that’s what the professional I work with believes and from what I understand IFS is widely used for this.
Well said. This is self help ... anyway!
And like… yeah I have a lazy side and an ambitious side to me. That doesn’t mean I’m MPD. It means I’m human. And it has been useful to have a little internal dialogue with each side of myself to get at the root of whatever hesitations or anxieties I might have. It’s been empowering.
Hi Gregg, that's a pretty strange comment for a psychiatrist to make. The IFS model is quite clearly not describing MPD, it is just breaking down a useful framework for how one may view one's psyche. Also, Justin is quite clearly only offering it as a framework that he has found useful, with the understanding that others may also, as i do. He is not selling it or preaching it or pretending to be an expert or professional. I would of thought this is all pretty clear in his post...
Really timely and important advice. Gratitude. 🙏
This was an interesting thing to find on Substack, I was following the thread of a restack of another essay about not fussing over the fall of the American Empire. Which is easy to say for some, and might overlook a lot of others. But I'm happy to see any reference to Dick Schwartz here, my exploring IFS with a therapist has not been the most helpful part of my recovery from Trauma but it's very insightful and has informed the other work that I've been doing. I got a lot out of the Parts book, especially the audio version. It's worth noting that the last year of this work for me has been far, far more helpful than the 30 previous years of psychiatric 'help' for addiction, bipolar 1, an eating disorder, and more. I'm on way less medication and more stable yet I could provide a list of the harmful interactions I've had with men and women who actually went to medical school, most have been less than helpful at best.
Ah, that's interesting. I got his book and tried to follow the ideas but I found it difficult to find the inside people.