Every once in a while, there is a client you just can't bring yourself to like. Several years ago, there was a client in the ER who was car jacked. Once I arrived in the ER, I found that actually, she'd consumed a 12 pack of beer and then went out in her car looking to score some drugs. She found a dealer on the "wrong side of town." In addition to taking "payment" he also sucker punched her, raped her, and took off in her car. (Law enforcement weren't entirely sure she'd not offered her car as payment for the drugs because she couldn't specify how much money she'd given him.)
She was very drunk and very high and very unhappy. She used as much profanity as I've ever heard from a client in the ER -- some of it hurled towards me and some towards the nurse. She was as unlikable as a client could get. When the doctor finished the pelvic exam, she immediately tried to get off the exam table. The problem was that the table had been put up high for the doctor's convenience. She fell off the end of the table and landed on her hip/butt.
She didn't even feel the impact of falling from a table about three - four feet up. I was relieved when I could leave the ER and never see her again.
The next day, she called our office. Now sober, she was feeling quite embarrassed over her behavior. She apologized for her abusiveness. And, since that almost never happens, my feelings about her changed immediately. It was nice to see someone take responsibility for their behavior towards people trying to help her. And, it was nice to let go of feeling resentment towards her - or the guilt for feeling that resentment.
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1 comment:
As a rape crisis worker myself, I'm quite disturbed that you're writing about your clients. Whatever happened to confidentiality? And doesn't your agency have a 'no blogging' clause in the employee manual? If not, it should!
p.s.- driving clients home (as you mentioned in another post) seems like a huge crossing of boundaries....
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