Parts Work in Eating Disorder Recovery
What is Parts Work or Internal Family Systems?
Parts Work or Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a model developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz. Dr. Schwartz has formerly served as a family therapist and he recognized a significant resemblance between the interpersonal dynamics relationships with family members and our own relationship we have with our internal personality parts.
He describes the nature of the mind to be subdivided into a number of sub-personalities or parts- each part having different interests, fears, desires, and gifts. Every day the parts collaborate to play roles.
Everyone has a self and the self can and should lead the individuals internal system. As we develop, our parts also develop and form a system that is reorganized and changes. We all have these parts. And throughout our life, these parts get wounded or burdened and these parts can become polarized.
There are no bad parts.
“Even the worst impulses and feelings- [the urge to restrict, purge, self-harm] - spring from parts of a person that themselves have a story to tell and the capacity to become something positive and helpful [our] lives. The point of IFS therapy is not to get rid of anything but to help it transform.”- Dr. Richard Schwartz
What are the goals of understanding and working with our parts?
The goal of exploring the different parts of us are to achieve balance and harmony within the internal system. We want to be able to differentiate and elevate the self so it can be the leader of the system. When the self leads, the parts will provide input to the self but the self can observe the parts separately and make the decisions.
Types of Parts in IFS
In all internal systems, there are several basic parts.
Exiles:
These are usually young parts that often hold old burdens, feelings, and believes and often represent represent psychological trauma. Examples of this in those struggling with eating disorders can include comments about food and body made by family, family restricting types of food or that were chronically dieting, or poverty causing a shortage of food. These lead to the development of believes like there will never be enough, I don’t deserve food, my body is not good enough, etc. It is those exiles that hold those believes. Many exiles are not food and body related but can affect our relationship with food and body. Exiles can become more and more isolated.
Exiles tend to overwhelm and absorb us, are past-oriented, and easily repressed by other parts.
Protectors:
In order to survive difficult feelings, emotions, and experiences, protective parts develop. There are two types of protectors- Managers and Firefighters.
Managers: Managers are proactive. Managers fear the escape of the exiles - those strong believes and emotions. They work to make sure to do everything they can to avoid those exiles from being activated. Managers feel essential although they may not enjoy the role. An example of how a manager shows up is in the formation of a perfectionist part that tries to do everything “correct” or “right,” that may look like people pleasing, in order to avoid feelings of feeling unloved or abandonment. If hurt, this normal natural perfectionist part can become strong if hurt, in order to avoid this situation from happening again to not feel the hurt. Managers are high functioning, future-oriented, and proactive.
Firefighters: Firefighters are reactive. When exiles break out, firefighters jump in to take care of this hard emotion. Firefighters are distracting, present-oriented, reactive, and easily judged by other parts. An example of this may be that when we are feeling an exile part like shame or anxiety, someone may use an eating disorder behavior like purging or restriction without thinking about the consequences of this. It can also look like numbing out or dissociating which can lead us to not be mindful of our needs and sensations.
Unbalanced Parts
In less balanced systems, these polarized parts can become very extreme. In IFS, an image of a sailboat can be used to demonstrate the system. (see picture). If the sailboat starts tipping because some of the sailors are leaning to one side too much, you may envision other sailors leaning to the other side to help get the boat back in balance. Polarization can happen in this way with the back and forth of managers and firefighter parts. Most polarization in eating disorders happen between managers and firefighters. For example, something happens in life like a comment is made about your food or body which then triggers an exile that triggers a moment in childhood of extreme shame that felt intolerable when receiving a similar comment from a family member. When initially experiencing this as a child, it may have not been consciously experienced or could have been forgotten due to the protector parts taking over like a firefighter taking care of that emotion through a release like a purge or binge to take care of that emotion. Then maybe over the next couple of hours, the manager comes in, usually pretty critically or judgmentally, and restricts to get the system back in balance.
The Self
IFS model has a part that is not actually a part but is the self. It is also known as the healthy self, the core self, and the higher self. Our self is never damaged but it does get hidden or quieted by activated polarized, protective parts that try to protect us.
When the self is present and active, it still allows all parts and listens and honors them. The Self Part is calm, curious, compassionate, confident, courageous, clear, connected, and creative.
Where can we begin exploring our different parts of us?
Stay curious.
Observe these parts. Nonjudgmental lean in and learn about the parts.
Explore how these parts may be eating disorder behaviors.
Ask the parts why they are here, what they need, and what they are trying to protect the system from?
Explore the resources below and explore deeper with a therapist who is trained in IFS.
Resources
Introduction to the Internal Family Systems Model by Richard Schwartz