Susceptibility: What Is Behind Such a Fancy Word?
Author : Claudia di Bisceglie.
Date : 1st June 2026
2 minute read
I want to talk about susceptibility. A word I'm sure you've heard many times if you've been around homeopathy.
What a magnificent word! I have to confess, though, that I still struggle to pronounce it correctly... and sometimes even to spell it! Thank goodness for spell check.
Jokes aside, susceptibility is one of the most important concepts in homeopathy.
Simply put, susceptibility is the weakness or vulnerability in our body's defence mechanisms—our predisposition to developing disease.I want to talk about susceptibility. A word I'm sure you've heard many times if you've been around homeopathy.
What a magnificent word! I have to confess, though, that I still struggle to pronounce it correctly... and sometimes even to spell it! Thank goodness for spell check.
Jokes aside, susceptibility is one of the most important concepts in homeopathy.
Simply put, susceptibility is the weakness or vulnerability in our body's defence mechanisms—our predisposition to developing disease.
It is also what homeopaths often refer to as the maintaining cause behind our symptoms. Symptoms are not the disease itself; they are the body's expression of an underlying imbalance.
Disease develops when an external stimulus—whether it's a virus, bacteria, chemicals, environmental toxins, an emotional shock, medication, or many other factors—meets a weakness that already exists within the person. The trigger alone isn't the whole story. It has to resonate with that individual's susceptibility before symptoms appear.
I think an example makes this much easier to understand.
From here, you can continue exploring the subject by reading more or by asking me questions. I'd genuinely love that, because this is a subject I'm deeply passionate about, and every conversation teaches me something new as well.
I have three daughters.
Growing up, each one had her own pattern of illness. Her own susceptibility.
Let's imagine they all caught the same common cold. The same virus (or at least one from the same family) entered their bodies. Most of the time, a healthy immune system deals with these infections on its own—it just needs time.
But let's look at what happened when the immune system became overwhelmed and the illness progressed a little deeper.
My oldest daughter
She would almost always develop a mouth ulcer before anything else.
Then came the typical cold symptoms: blocked nose, sneezing, fever, body aches—all signs that her body was reacting to the infection.
If her immune system couldn't stop the virus from progressing, the next stage was usually her stomach. She would become nauseous, all the catarrh seemed to drain there, and often she had to vomit before she started feeling better.
Emotionally, she would become very withdrawn. She wanted to be left alone, and all her symptoms became noticeably worse during the night, especially between 2 and 4 a.m.
My middle daughter
Now we're talking about a completely different picture!
No stomach problems. No wanting to be alone.
Instead, she became extremely restless, clingy and fearful. Fears that were already there became much more intense. And she could never be left alone.
Physically, her weakness was always her chest. She was prone to chest infections, deep wet coughs, and lots of thick yellow or green mucus. She didn’t have any specific time of aggravation - her symptoms seem to be aggravated all day and night long.
My youngest daughter
Again, a completely different expression.
She wasn't withdrawn or clingy. Instead, she became angry and easily frustrated whenever things didn't go her way.
She also became incredibly particular and obsessive. During those periods, the food on her plate couldn't touch. (I'm not particularly proud to admit that it took me quite a while to understand this. I used to argue with her, thinking she was simply being difficult.)
She also had a strong need to control her environment, and only when she felt that sense of control did her symptoms begin to settle.
Interestingly, her physical symptoms were actually quite mild—perhaps a moderate fever, a mild cough or a light chest infection. No aggravation. Same mildness day and night.
So, the same exciting cause... but three completely different expressions.
And, of course, three completely different homeopathic remedies.
This is why, when clients, friends or family ask me,
"Can you give me a remedy for a dry cough?"
I immediately find myself in a bit of a grey area.
Part of me wishes I had a magic pill to hand them, because I know that's often what people are hoping for.
But the real magic, for me, lies somewhere else.
It lies in understanding the uniqueness of each individual.
What are your strengths?
Where are your weaknesses?
How does your body react when it's under stress?
What patterns keep repeating?
We can only discover those answers if we slow down and truly listen to what our body, mind and emotions are trying to tell us.
Without that understanding, we stay stuck in the mindset of "I'm ill, just give me the magic pill."
And when we stay there, we often miss the opportunity to understand ourselves more deeply and to take responsibility for the choices, habits and lifestyle factors that may be contributing to our health behind the scenes.
Which brings us to the next—and equally important—question.
Why are we susceptible to one thing and not another?
Why did my oldest daughter's body tend to express imbalance through her digestive system, while my middle daughter's weakness was always her chest?
Homeopathy teaches us that susceptibility is influenced by many factors working together, including:
● Heredity and genetics
● Family history
● Physical trauma
● Emotional trauma
● Lifestyle (sleep, nutrition, movement and daily habits)
● Chronic stress
● Environmental exposures
Over time, these factors shape how our body responds to illness and where our weakest links may lie.
When these imbalances become deeply rooted, making lasting changes isn't always easy.
Not because the body is broken.
But because it has become overwhelmed, exhausted and, in a way, confused.
Sometimes it simply needs the right support to find its way back towards balance.
And perhaps that's one of the reasons I love homeopathy so much.
It doesn't just ask, "What illness do you have?"
It asks,
"Why is your body expressing it this way?"
For me, that's where the real healing journey begins.
If you are interested in diving deeper into this subject and exploring the philosophical principles behind homeopathy, I truly recommend the book “The Science of Homeopathy” by George Vithoulkas.
It is not exactly a light bedtime read but a wonderful book.
If you have any questions please feel free to book a 15 min free talk with me.