About this episode

Mike discusses Internal Family Systems and how to manage urges around drinking with curiosity instead of shame.

In this episode, Mike puts a name to something that has come up again and again on the podcast: Internal Family Systems, or IFS. Drawing on ideas discussed by several therapists on the show, including Beej Christie Karpen, he breaks down why part of you reaches for relief, why shame keeps the cycle going, and how to start responding with more curiosity and less self-attack. This one gives you a simple framework and a few practical ways to use it the next time the urge shows up. CONNECT WITH SUNNYSIDE: Listen to Journey to the Sunnyside Podcast: https://bit.ly/4bxCqT3 Subscribe to Sunnyside’s YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3zuoID4 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joinsunnyside/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joinsunnyside/ Twitter: https://x.com/joinsunnyside TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joinsunnyside ABOUT SUNNYSIDE: Sunnyside is the #1 alcohol health app that helps you drink less without any shame, guilt, or pressure to quit. Optimize your alcohol habits to achieve benefits like sleeping better, losing weight, feeling more energy, and saving money. We know that an all-or-nothing approach doesn’t work for everyone, so we focus on helping you set your own goals…

People in this episode

Host: Mike

Topics covered

• Internal Family Systems
• drinking habits
• shame
• curiosity
• self-attack
• mental health

Keywords

• drinking
• shame
• curiosity
• Internal Family Systems
• mental health
• self-improvement

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Sunnyside

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• Food Noise, Alcohol Noise, and the New Science of Medication-Assisted Behavior Change w/ Sunnyside CEO Nick Allen & Noom CEO Geoff Cook · April 15, 2026 · 56 min
• 7 Things Most People Get Wrong About Harm Reduction · April 13, 2026 · 10 min
• Why the Parts of You That Drink Are Not the Enemy w/ Beej Karpen · April 2, 2026 · 39 min

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