IFS and ADHD: 5 Common Protector Parts That Show Up in ADHDers

Guest post by my good friend and colleague, Sanni Kujala – www.ifswithsanni.com

In Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, we talk about parts: inner aspects of us that each have their own role, intention and way of showing up in the world.

Some parts get stuck in painful moments in the past, while others step in to try to prevent us from ever feeling that pain again. These protective parts work hard to keep us functioning, safe, and in control.

Many of my clients are ADHDers or AuDHDers, and while every person’s system is unique, there are some protectors that tend to show up often in ADHD systems.

These parts have taken on big jobs, trying to help the person adjust to a neurotypical world and protect against pain, shame, and rejection.

1. The Social Chameleon

This part learned early that belonging often depends on fitting in. It watches closely, reads social cues, and adjusts how you speak or act depending on the situation.

It may double-check messages before sending, replay conversations afterward, or try to hide ADHD traits if it thinks they might be “too much”. This part might also say yes when you want to say no, put others’ needs before your own, or avoid conflict at all cost.

For many ADHDers, this part works to protect against the pain of rejection-sensitive dysphoria (RSD), which can be triggered when connection or approval feels at risk.

It has often helped by maintaining friendships, keeping peace in social situations, and making sure you aren’t excluded. But over time, it can leave you unsure of what you actually want or need, or feeling like no one really knows you.

2. The Productivity Manager

This part is focused on order and control. It believes that being organised and “on top of things” will finally erase the shame that can come from losing focus or missing deadlines.

It might set up elaborate systems or endlessly search for the next magic bullet – the productivity system or approach that will finally make everything run smoothly. It may also try to get you to “do something productive” as soon as you have free time, and maintain a big to-do list that just keeps on getting longer.

This part has likely helped you stay on track, meet goals, and manage responsibilities in a world that constantly measures worth through productivity.

This part often feels frustrated, believing it’s the only one trying to move things forward. However, the way it approaches things often creates more resistance and exhaustion in other parts of the system.

3. The Justice Warrior

Many ADHDers have a strong sense of fairness. This part steps in when something feels wrong, whether it’s hypocrisy, exclusion, or injustice. It often protects against the helplessness that can come from being misunderstood or dismissed.

It can appear as anger, strong opinions, or a drive to challenge unfair systems. It brings clarity, courage, and conviction, and it’s often the reason you’ve spoken up when no one else would, or refused to go along with something that didn’t feel right.

But this part can also become weary from the constant fighting. Sometimes it focuses so much on the problems outside of you that your own parts don’t get enough attention.

It tends to feel tired and overworked, carrying the weight of trying to fix everything that is wrong with the world.

4. The Inner Critic

This part often has a harsh tone, echoing messages it picked up from teachers, parents, or peers. It says things like “You never get it right.” or “You’re such a loser.”

Even though its words are painful, this part’s intentions are protective. It developed this strategy in environments where criticism or rejection were common, and it learned that being hard on you was a way to stay safe.

Other parts might want to get rid of it, but when we begin to get to know it, we often realise that it’s been feeling alone in the system.

It’s been working tirelessly to keep you prepared, trying to push you to be better, and believing that if it points out every flaw first, you won’t be shamed or criticised by others.

5. The Procrastinator

This part tends to appear when things start to feel overwhelming, when there is a fear of failure, or when the pressure to perform becomes too much.

It distracts, procrastinates, or shuts things down entirely. On the outside, it can look like avoidance or lack of motivation, but inside, it’s often trying to protect you from pain, rejection, and shame.

The Procrastinator often tries to protect other parts from the Inner Critic; if you don’t start something, you can’t be criticised for doing it wrong.

Although this part can feel frustrating, especially to the Inner Critic and the Productivity Manager, its intentions are caring.

It’s trying to slow things down and give you space when life feels too intense, and make sure you won’t feel the pain of failure.

Working with Protectors in IFS

All these protectors took on their jobs for good reasons. Their strategies made sense once; they were creative responses to difficult or overwhelming situations.

In IFS, the goal isn’t to silence or get rid of them, but to get to know them. When we approach these parts with curiosity and compassion, we can start building trust and cooperation with them.

This often means noticing when a protector shows up and turning toward it instead of pushing it away. Sometimes, other parts need to step back a little so that we can really be with one protector at a time, listen to it, and learn what it’s been trying to do for us.

Healing What’s Underneath

As that trust builds, protectors eventually allow us to turn toward what they’ve been guarding: the younger, more vulnerable parts that carry the painful experiences, emotions, and beliefs that made the protectors take up their jobs.

When those deeper wounds are healed, the protectors don’t have to work in overdrive anymore. They don’t disappear; they simply settle into more balanced roles and begin to support us in ways that feel more authentic and sustainable.

That’s the heart of IFS: helping each part feel seen, valued, and supported so that all of you can move through life with more ease and authenticity.

Sanni Kujala is a therapist working with sensitive and neurodivergent adults in Sweden, and across Europe and Asia. Using IFS therapy, she helps clients explore their inner world, process the past, and move forward with more clarity and confidence. Learn more at www.ifswithsanni.com.