12/15/2025
In IFS, we see addiction not as the enemy, but as a protector part—a strategy that tries to shield us from overwhelming pain.
These parts aren’t “bad." They’re doing their best to help us survive.
💡 The deeper question isn’t “Why are you addicted?” but “What pain is this part working so hard to soothe?”
When we turn toward these parts with curiosity and compassion, we begin to uncover the exiles—the tender, wounded places within us that carry burdens of shame, grief, or loneliness. Healing comes not from fighting the addiction, but from listening to the pain beneath it.
🌱 Recovery, then, is not about silencing or shaming our protective parts. It’s about creating space for them to rest, while we gently care for the hurting places they’ve been guarding all along.
🕊️ In IFS, every part has wisdom. Even the ones that look destructive are simply trying to help. When we ask “Why the pain?” we open the door to healing, integration, and Self-leadership.
Your parts are not problems to fix. They hold stories longing to be heard. 💙
