Suggestibility

How would the following impact on suggestibility, if at all?

Age

Age would have a significant impact on suggestibility. Children would be highly suggestible because they have been less conditioned by life and are use to being told what to do. They also have good imaginations because they tend to believe in fairly tales and wonderlands. On the other hand, elderly people maybe less suggestible due to the conditioning life has had on them. They will also have a presumed idea of hypnosis from what they have seen on TV. As mature adults they are use to being in control of their lives and may show resistance to hypnotherapy. There may also be an aspect of them being set in their ways and not willing to accept something new. Some older people tend to rubbish things thy do not understand and can be quite stubborn about it.


PTSD

A client with post traumatic stress disorder will usually be highly suggestible. This is because, by the very nature of PTSD, they relive the images of their trauma in their minds. They can visualise vivid details of their trauma as well as smells, sounds and feelings. For this reason someone who sufferers with PTSD would be very suggestible..


OCD

A client with obsessive compulsive disorder would be of low suggestibility. This is due to the controlling nature of the disorder. If someone lives their lives trying to control every single detail of it there are not going to be very suggestible because they will also try to control the session and resist trance. However, in some cases confusion may lead to the acceptance of alternative suggestions


Eating disorder

A client suffering from anorexia will not be very suggestible. Again, control is the nature of the disorder. Someone with this disorder will be so programmed to control every aspect of their existence (food, environment, weight) that they would naturally try to control their behaviour within a session and be less likely to accept suggestions. For these reasons someone with anorexia would not be highly suggestible. However, someone suffering from bulimia has very little control as they feel the need to binge and throw up uncontrollably. This is a way of finding comfort for them. Bulimia is anxiety based so a sufferer will be plenty of internal construction going on. They may well find comfort in hypnotherapy and feel more in control as a result.




Highly emotional

Highly emotional people tend not to see this as they really are. They tend to over dramatise or over react. This makes them highly suggestible because they are able to create scenarios in their minds and believe them. This type of client would also benefit hugely from cognitive behavioural therapy.


Low self esteem

People with low self esteem tend to be quite negative and down on themselves. This can lead to them thinking that they ‘can’t do it’ or there is something wrong with them, they are not as good as others etc. All of this creates a barrier to suggestibility and therefore can make them low on the suggestibility scale. However, in most cases the client is looking for a solution and is willing to be open to suggestion. Ego strengthening is advisable with this type of client.


Fearful

This depends a great deal on what the client is fearful of. If, for example; the client is afraid of looking silly or making a fool of themselves, they may not be very suggestible, as this is a control issue and they will try to control there behaviour and the session. However, if the client’s fears are irrational, like demons or monsters them they may well be very suggestible as they have the ability to create images and unreal scenarios.


Analytical

Analytical people tend not to be very suggestible. This is due to the fact that they question everything and need evidence of some things validity. There spend most of their time preoccupied with looking for fact and truth in everything. For these reasons someone who is analytical would not be very suggestible. Suggestions should be used sparingly with this type of client. A more confusional or overload approach should be taken.


Musical

It is thought that musical people are highly suggestible because they are creative, have imagination and they can somehow visualise music. However, I’m not totally convinced that you can put all musicians in this pigeon hole. I know a lot of musicians and I know some very analytical musicians who would not be very suggestible. I think suggesting that all musical people are suggestible is a bit like suggesting that all women are suggestible because we are seen to be emotional beings. This type of client would respond well to auditory modalities.