Living with Depression: The Power of Internal Family Systems and Self-Acceptance

In this episode of Giving Voice to Depression, Eric shares his deeply personal journey of living under the crushing weight of depression and how he found a path toward healing. Instead of fighting against his pain, Eric discovered the transformative power of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, which allowed him to engage with his depression in a new, compassionate way. Through personifying his struggle as a “boulder” and learning to soften toward the parts of himself he once rejected, Eric uncovered resilience, rootedness, and a renewed sense of hope.

Listeners will hear how acceptance, rather than resistance, opened the door to healing and how reframing depression as a protective force instead of an enemy helped Eric move forward with faith and curiosity. This conversation is a reminder that healing from depression is not about eradicating symptoms but learning to live with compassion for all parts of ourselves.

Primary Topics Covered:

• Eric’s experience of living with the “boulder” of depression
• The difference between intellectualizing depression and doing emotional “heartwork”
• How Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy works and its role in healing
• Shifting from resistance to acceptance in managing depression
• The role of self-compassion and “softening” in recovery
• Finding rootedness, faith, and curiosity when hope feels out of reach

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction to the episode and mission of the podcast
 01:13 – Eric describes the crushing weight of depression
 02:22 – Signs of emerging from a prolonged depressive period
 04:28 – The importance of allowing grief and honest feelings
 05:37 – Eric’s metaphor of depression as a boulder
 07:40 – The added burden of shame in depression
 09:28 – Moving from intellectualizing depression to emotional “heartwork”
 10:04 – Discovering Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy
 12:47 – Personifying depression as “Atlas” holding the boulder
 14:12 – Reframing depression through compassion and acceptance
 15:38 – Eric finds faith, rootedness, and curiosity
 18:19 – The power of grace and self-compassion in healing
 20:10 – Letting go of expectations and embracing groundedness
 23:45 – Reflections on diagnosis, stigma, and compassion for differences
 25:32 – Understanding feelings as information and depression’s role in deepening care
 27:04 – Closing thoughts on resilience, growth, and ongoing healing

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