I Don’t Want to Use Medicine: Inner Work on Overwhelm for Highly Sensitive People Facing Health Stress

Todd: [00:00:00] Once you get used to the four questions of the work of Byron Katie, they don’t change and they become pretty familiar. And in addition to using those questions, you may start to find that. Deciding what the thought is to question becomes as interesting as going through the four questions. And for this, I’ve written a whole book on the process of what I call finding the door to inquiry.

So if you’re interested in looking at different ways to go from, I’m not sure what to work on to a specific direction, often even a judge or neighbor worksheet, then grab a copy of this book at the work as meditation.com and it will lead you through a number of different exercises to give you ideas of how to find those thoughts.

To question[00:01:00] 

Client: what I feel and I know I have high blood pressure and I. I, I don’t want to use medicine. And that’s the thought I want to do the work on. 

Todd: Welcome to Wiggle Room, a podcast where we start with stress and look for ways to turn it around. And we use something called the work of Byron Katie.

If you’re not familiar with this system, it’s a way of identifying the thoughts that are running in your mind when you’re feeling stressed and actually questioning those thoughts. It can be an amazing way to turn things around.

I’m Todd Smith and on the program today. We’ll be listening to the recording of this week’s open session, and the participant who does the work in this session does the work on the thought. I don’t want to use medicine, and this is with [00:02:00] regards to a health issue for her. And I want you to listen. Pay attention to how.

Quietly and how much space she gives herself to sit in these questions. She’s not just jumping in to ask to answer the question. She’s giving herself time. This is that meditative process that I often like to think of the work of Byron Katie as being. So first we’ll be listening to that that takes the whole first half hour or so.

And then I will be reading a, an article which is called Socializing Your Inner Pet. So let’s dive into the work of Byron Katie together. It’s a simple, powerful way to question the thoughts that are running in your head when you’re feeling stressed. So here’s our latest weekly open session recording, and as always, I like to share the unedited recording so that you can experience this as if you are there in person.[00:03:00] 

Client: I have something I’d like to do to work on. 

Todd: Okay, great. So what is the situation? 

Client: The situation is that I have I feel. A lot of how do you say that? Oh gosh. My, my heart is bonding too fast. That’s, that. At least that’s what I experience and I feel a kind of pressure all the time. And I’ll look up the word in English.

What I feel and I know I have a high blood pressure and I don’t want to use medicine and that’s the thought I want to do the work on. 

Todd: Okay. 

Client: Okay. Good. Yeah. And the word I was looking for is hunted or chased. That’s what I feel. I feel [00:04:00] hunted. Say it again. Hunted or chased.

Todd: Hunted or chased. Okay. Rushed. Okay. 

Client: Yeah. Okay. 

Todd: So you don’t want to use medicine, is that true? Yeah. 

Client: Yeah.

Yeah.

Todd: And was that your answer or were you just saying Yeah, I wasn’t sure. 

Client: Yeah, the answer is it’s true. Yes. 

Todd: Okay, got it. Yeah. So I don’t want to use, you don’t want to use medicine. Can you absolutely know it’s true.[00:05:00] 

Client: There’s a no and there’s a yes

because I, you never know what happens in future and. But when I say no, then I feel like a temper tantrum. So there that’s a yes. 

Todd: Sounds like it. 

Client: Yeah. 

Todd: Yeah. So how do you react? What happens when you think, I don’t want to use medicine? 

Client: I’m disappointed. I thought I found a way in dealing with

The blood pressure. So I use what do you say? What do I say? Vitamins and stuff. To help my veins. Yeah, I it’s, I feel like [00:06:00] being, being like a fool. Life is making a fool out of me. That’s what I feel. I feel trapped,

so I’m angry. Also,

yeah, I try to relax,

but the rushed feeling in my my chest is so present[00:07:00] 

and I want to push that feeling away.

I don’t want to feel desperate, but I.

I feel my jaw clenching.

And I treat myself as a victim,

and I treat medicine as an enemy.[00:08:00] 

Todd: And what are the images from the past or the future when you think you don’t want to use medicine?

Client: I see my mom taking pills and she had to take more pills when she grew [00:09:00] older.

Yeah, and I see images of me having a cerebral vascular accident or a heart attack.

Or the feeling of estrangement when taking the normal medicine,

which I always try to avoid. Oh yeah.

Yeah and it also feels as a, I see also a promise to myself to, to try to live as natural or healthy as possible.[00:10:00] 

Yeah. And I don’t like the pharmaceutical industry and the power they have. And also when you start. To have medicine for blood pressure. You you can stop, but they will never advise that.

So there are a lot of worksheets to be done.[00:11:00] 

Yeah, and I’m ready to go to the next question. 

Todd: Okay. So who would you be without the thought? I don’t want to use medicine. I. In this situation with your heart,

Client: without thought I know I have to take action

and look at my. [00:12:00] My life and see what I can change.

Yeah, without the thought, there’s no fight. There’s openness.

And even curiosity,

what will be the next step?

Yeah. I can also feel [00:13:00] trusted. The next step will be revealed.

Yeah. There’s more space in my being, my body and my mind without a thought.

Todd: Oh, how would you turn this thought around? I don’t want to use medicine

Client: in my thinking. I don’t want to use medicine.

I.

Yeah, my thinking things of [00:14:00] other

methods.

And yeah. There are a lot of things to. Reasons for other things in my thinking than medicine. I do want to use medicine. 

Todd: Okay, so how could that turnaround be true?[00:15:00] 

Client: Yeah, it could be true

when this chased feeling continues for, I don’t know, maybe I have to set a certain time. I don’t. I don’t know. I don’t even know. Dads when it continues, I want to use medicine.

At least I can try. 

Todd: Okay,

and why would you be willing to use medicine if it continues? I.

Client: Because it makes me because I feel so much in a rush and I can’t sleep, so I [00:16:00] feel I go with a with a bad feeling to my bedroom.

That’s, it doesn’t feel good. I don’t want to continue that.

Todd: Yeah. So when you compare medicine and that experience, that rushed feeling, then there’s room for I do want to use medicine. 

Client: Yep. Yep.

Todd: How is it okay with you if you use medicine?

Client: When I see it as an experiment

and when when I can talk to the doctor about, what [00:17:00] about stopping to do it for a certain time.

Todd: If you went to the worst case scenario, the doctor says, you need to stay on this for life, and even you try it and it comes back when you. It goes away when you take the medicine, it comes back when you don’t, you do a test, let’s say. 

Client: Yeah. 

Todd: But worst case, if you had to take it for life, how would that be?

Okay.

Client: It, when there is more rest in my body, yeah. Would be okay. 

Todd: Yeah, you think of [00:18:00] the side effects of drugs, but there’s a side effect of not sleeping too. 

Client: Yeah.

Todd: Yeah. So sometimes one is as bad or worse than the other. 

Client: Yeah.

Yeah, 

Todd: I do want to use medicine or I’m willing to use medicine. We have to find these examples because the, these are like, this is such a firm belief in many of us. I know I have this too.

Client: And 

Todd: I want to do everything without medicine. That’s my, that’s what I try. Yeah. So to be open to. Using medicine, we have to find as many examples as we can.

How it’s okay if I have to take this medicine for a long time for my life. Any other examples for you?[00:19:00] 

Client: Yeah, it is also okay as an challenge for my, my strict opinion and my strict thinking about the pharmaceutical industry.

Todd: Yeah, exactly. So this is.

That’s the challenge, right? I’ve made the pharmaceutical industry the enemy, so I’m not going to take anything from the enemy. So this requires me to loosen that and maybe see them as not a hundred percent the enemy. 

And find the balance in there where I can gain from them. 

Even while not subscribing to. The whole allopathic a hundred percent approach. 

Client: Yeah.[00:20:00] 

Todd: We’re talking black and white, right? This is good. This is bad. 

But we’re, this turnaround is saying how could both be good? How can both sides have some value? 

Client: Yeah. Yeah. That’s why I like to work. 

Todd: Yeah, I agree. I had this too, like I had a sinus growth in my sinus for years, like 20 or 30 years, and I didn’t see a doctor about it, and 

Finally I did. But it had, I had to overcome. My prejudice against going to a doctor for that kind of thing, and but now I sleep better. 

Client: Yeah. I tried a lot for the high blood pressure and I. I didn’t measure it anymore, and now the rushed feeling is so it’s never been like that.

So I [00:21:00] maybe it’s time to change. Yeah. 

Todd: Yeah. Plus then you have the advantage of a doctor. They might find it’s something different than the blood pressure, something. It might be something else that’s causing that feeling too. And who knows. 

Client: Yeah, that’s the. I didn’t think of that. Yeah, thank you.

Because I’m going to make a date with a auto, we call it auto molecular doctor. And I have, I had some advice from her for, my veins and with vitamins and Kuma. And so I take that every day. So now I’m going to speak to her about the all Allopath medicine, just to hear her opinion, but I didn’t think of consulting a doctor for research or what is, what else could be there.

Yeah. 

Yeah. 

Todd: Just because I go to a [00:22:00] doctor, that’s an underlying belief. If I go to a doctor, yeah. I must do exactly what they tell me. It’s no, I can go to a doctor. Yeah. Just for research. Yeah. 

Client: Yeah. I can do that. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah, that’s good advice.

So 

Todd: I don’t want to use medicine. Is there any other turnaround for you?

Client: I don’t want to use the opposite of medicine what I do, and I don’t know. The, in Dutch you call it sub, but I can’t find, I can’t find the. And that’s also true when I swallow my pills every morning, then I think, oh, what am I doing?

Todd: So you’re already taking medicine. 

Client: I do. And it also [00:23:00] comes from factory somewhere or anywhere, right? Yeah. And maybe it’s. Who says that? Yeah. Wow.

Todd: Another possible turnaround could be something like, I don’t want to use me, just me like nothing, like for taking care of my body. 

Client: I’ll try that. It’s a good one. I don’t want to use me.

I don’t want to misuse me.

I don’t.[00:24:00] 

What comes up is the

Resistance against practicing,[00:25:00] 

and that’s, use me is. Also use my knowledge.

Yeah. 

Todd: And what does that mean to you when you say that? I don’t wanna use my knowledge or me, 

Client: I could meditate every day, but I never do that. And I know it’s good for the breathing. Calm pressure, calm down. Yeah. Yeah. So that’s, yeah, I could do that. Yeah. 

Todd: Yeah. So it is interesting that I don’t want to use medicine, but I also don’t want to use me.

It’s like I’m not wanting to use anything. I just want it, it to go away 

Client: somehow. Yeah. Yep. Yeah. Or an instant solution. Yeah, 

Todd: instant solution, right? 

Client: Yeah. Yeah. [00:26:00] So that was a good one. Yeah.

Todd: So it’s like these turnarounds are just pointing towards some kind of courage to go towards this issue instead of go away from Yeah.

The issue and, yeah. Thank you. Really very something I can certainly identify with. So thank you very 

Client: much. Thank you. Thank you for helping me. Yeah.

Todd: You would like to participate in open sessions like the one we heard just now, then go to the work as meditation.com and you’ll find the open sessions page there. You can see the schedule of sessions coming up. You can learn how it works and you can join us to ask your questions and to do the work with me.

So check it out. [00:27:00] While you’re there. Also check out the work 1 0 1 page. This is where I. Offer a course, which is very comprehensive in getting to know how to do this process. It’s a simple process. Four questions, turnarounds, examples of the turnarounds. It’s always the same. It’s very simple. I. There’s a lot to it.

There’s a lot of nuance when you get into it. There’s a lot of subtlety. So I’ve designed a course, a 45 lesson course called the Work 1 0 1, and it takes most people a couple months to run through. You can take as long as you need to. And. All the information for that course is found at the work as meditation.com, and then the work 1 0 1.

Next I’m going to read one of my newsletter articles called Socializing Your Inner Pet.[00:28:00] 

Even a skittish ground squirrel can become calm around people socializing your inner pet. We were at my nephew’s house the other day, and I was surprised to see how calm their cat was. It was the calmest cat I think I’ve ever seen, and it’s only about a year old. My theory is that this cat grew up in a very dynamic environment.

It shares the house with a 2-year-old high energy chocolate lab. If anyone knows chocolate labs, they’re high en high energy to begin with. This dog is constantly running around and it’s it’s one of the most high energy dogs I’ve met. Now imagine a kitten growing up with this dog running around nonstop.

It would either go completely crazy or it would adapt. In this case, I think it adapted to the high energy environment by becoming immune to it. Nothing seems to phase this cat at all. [00:29:00] And we may be just like this. A lot of times we look for ways to avoid our stressors so that we can be peaceful.

But the problem with this approach is that our world becomes smaller and smaller as we limit the things that we can do or that we can’t do. So don’t get me wrong, isolation, protection, taking care of oneself, all of these things are good. But when I protect myself too much, I may become more prone to stress whenever I get exposed to those stressors again, socializing the dog.

Our dog demonstrates the same principle. We live a fairly quiet life so our dog doesn’t get exposed to a lot of other people or animals every day. This means that when he sees other dogs or people, he goes nuts and barks and wants to jump and all of that. The exposure to his stressors is not frequent enough for him to be okay with them and to remain calm.[00:30:00] 

So what’s the solution in a word? Socialization In dog language. This means taking a dog out to meet other dogs, going to busy places where there are lots of people and lots of things going on, and having people come by. Basically, we try to expose the dog to as many of his stressors as possible until he becomes accustomed to them moving slowly.

An important principle of socialization is to take it slowly. Too much will overwhelm and cause more stress. Even trauma in the dog, that’s not the idea. The idea is to take it slowly. Our dog trainer recommends exposing our dog to other dogs at a distance at first. For example, she recommended that we take him across the street from the dog part and just be with him calmly giving treats until he is no longer anxious.

This is a low [00:31:00] dose of the stressor and it helps build immunity. In fact, that’s exactly how medical immunization shots work. Give enough of the stressor to challenge, but not so much that it overwhelms. We can do the same thing with our stressors. By moving toward our stressors instead of away from them, we can culture a kind of mental immunity.

The key is not to move too fast, just a gradual repeated exposure can build a lot of tolerance. However, sometimes we can’t control how we get exposed to stress. Sometimes the intense version of the stress is there every day at work or with someone in the office or at home with someone in the family.

So how do you deal with that? It’s always possible to slow things down. I. Even if you can’t control how much exposure you get to your stressors, you can take action to give [00:32:00] yourself space to process after each exposure. This can be as effective as giving yourself low dose, repeated exposures, a high dose exposure, followed by time to process it.

Thoroughly, if possible, can be a very fast way to grow. And luckily, there is a way to process thing, process things very effectively and quickly With the work of Byron Katie, after any stressful situation, go to a quiet place. Write your stressful thoughts down and question them. This process is amazing.

It can shift the feeling in a very short time. It can open the mind to see a stressor very differently. It is a powerful way to process emotions and stress. Suddenly a stressful situation becomes a fertilizer for growth. If you really want to grow, the situation that you’re wanting to protect yourself from [00:33:00] can become the very thing that helps you gain new strength.

It all depends on what you do with it. Without the work, it may take more time to process each exposure. With the work, things can move quite quickly. You may start to get ahead of it. You may even find yourself as relaxed as my nephew’s kitten around something that kept you on edge before. This is the power of inquiry in combination with exposure to stressful situations.

If money stresses, you do the work on money. My friend and fellow facilitator, Grace Bell and I created a course called Living with Money. If you have any stress around money or if you would like to prevent su future stress, I highly recommend this course. It contains 12 hours of video and to increase the value for you, we’re adding six additional hour seminars, some of which are, may still be in process when you’re watching this video.

[00:34:00] So if you haven’t. Enrolled, sign up at the work as meditation.com under the Living With Money page. And there you can access the recordings of these extra seminars or you can participate in them if you, if they haven’t passed already. So finally, let’s end with a quote from Byron Katie, and this is from her book, loving.

What is. We never receive more than we can handle, and there is always just one thing to do.