Some customers are a little too comfortable sharing their personal lives with workers. While offering a few details from your life in conversation is fine, going overboard is generally not appreciated by workers. Yet, it seems to happen more often than you’d think.
For example, one Walmart worker recounted how a customer approached her and told her about “how toilet paper can get stuck in her hoo-ha,” while a server shared how she was berated by a customer for too closely resembling the customer’s boyfriend’s mistress.
These overshares can be more than mere annoyances for workers. Often, they can make workers feel uncomfortable or, in the worst cases, unsafe. Now, TikTok user and Physical Therapist Carly (@cmtmama) has accumulated over 21 thousand views after sharing her story of a patient causing discomfort in her workplace.
What did this patient say that made this therapist uncomfortable?
In her video, Carly recounts a difficult experience she had with a patient.
“Tell me why a grown man in his late 60s thinks it’s acceptable when I’m here working as his therapist for him to proceed to say, ‘I know you’re married, and not to be rude, but I had a dream about you last night,’” she starts.
While Carly says she tried to ignore this statement by simply looking away and taking notes, the man was undeterred. Then, when it was time for their session together to end, he asked to be stretched as “‘it always feels good when you do that.’”
“Then, when we’re really done, he walks out and he goes, ‘I hope you don’t think that was creepy that I had a dream about you,’” Carly shares. “Get out of my office, and please, never come back!”
Although that might be what Carly thought, she says that she has to “be professional,” which involves seeing the man again on Monday. “Because it’s my job, and I can’t be rude,” she says.
“But like, are you for real? You’re of clear mind. I know your diagnosis. You’re fine. Don’t say that,” she concludes. In the caption, she adds, “I know he has a daughter my age – and I want to be like imagine someone said this to your daughter? Like GTFO. Wildly inappropriate.”
What can a physical therapist do in this situation?
Physical therapists being made to feel uncomfortable by their patients is incredibly common. In fact, a study of over 800 physical therapists found that 84% of them experienced some form of inappropriate interaction from a patient throughout their career. Incidents were reported to be more common when the patient was male and the PT was female.
Writing for VeryWell Health, Brett Sears, PT, MDT suggests addressing behaviors directly with the patient in order to put an end to them. In cases where this doesn’t improve the situation, one can address the issue with their supervisor or manager, or simply ask to be excused from further care with that patient.
@cmtmama I know he has a daughter my age – and I want to be like imagine someone said this to your daughter? Like GTFO. Wildly inappropriate #healthcare #healthcareworker #harassment #inappropriate #inappropriatebehavior #workproblems #dailyrant ♬ original sound – CMTmama+beauty
“You have to set clear boundaries“
While Carly suggested that she would simply be continuing with the patient as normal, many commenters thought that she should address the issue head-on.
“You have to set clear boundaries! You have to tell him to stop talking, and transfer him to a different therapist,” wrote a user.
“You 100% do not have ANY obligation to provide him care. None,” echoed another.
“Let’s normalize confronting men when they’re inappropriate FROM THE START. Ignoring does nothing but enable them to continue disrespecting women,” offered a third.
“I would let him know in a professional way that you don’t want to hear or know that. It’s steering the sheep into the pen with your own boundaries. They will always try and see what they can get away with,” stated a further TikToker.
The Daily Dot reached out to Carly via email.
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