If you find a Suppressive on a case you will also find a chronic problem.
A problem is postulate - counter-postulate.
When a person is faced with suppression he is facing a counter-postulate.
A hidden standard is a problem a person thinks must be resolved before auditing can be seen to have worked. It’s a standard by which to judge Scientology or auditing or the auditor.
This hidden standard is always an old problem of long duration. It is a postulate - counter-postulate situation — the source of the counter-postulate was suppressive to the pc.
Therefore you can always find a Suppressive by finding a pc’s hidden standard and following it back to when it began. You will find there a Suppressive to the pc.
Similarly if you trace back the persons and groups who have been suppressive of the pc you will find a hidden standard popping into view.
The datum is — a case that betters then worsens (a “Roller Coaster Case” or a “Roller Coaster”) is always connected to a suppressive person.
The Roller Coaster is caused by the hidden standard going into action. “My eyesight didn’t get better.” Locate a present time Suppressive on the case and trace that suppressive back to others earlier and you suddenly see the pc brighten up and (apparently for no reason) state his eyesight suddenly improved.
A case that betters and worsens (a Roller Coaster) is always connected to a suppressive person and will not get steady gain until the Suppressive is found on the case or the basic suppressive person earlier.
Because the case doesn’t get well he or she is a Potential Trouble Source. To us, to others, to himself. You can’t successfully audit that pc because there is a hidden standard. It makes the pc think he is no better. Suppressives also suppress the pc just like that so long as a hidden standard is present.
Find the Suppressive, make the pc handle or disconnect. Then audit the pc up to Problems Release by getting rid of the hidden standard and the basic suppressive.
Never audit a pc who is a Potential Trouble Source other than on the infallible, never varied datum, a Roller Coaster is always a PTS connected to an SP.
Note also that a person going clear is now a thetan with a new view of life and has new hidden standards (requiring the location of suppressives) which he had no reality on as a Man or later as a Release.