[AngstyLady]

Ugh, I feel so awful.
So someone left some earbuds at work today. This has happened before and no one ever claims them and so this time I did something I knew was wrong and took them home with me. Then I missed a text and call from a coworker asking if I'd seen them- I lied and said I hadn't because I felt bad . . .either way I was in the wrong- I should've just said yes and that I forgot I put them in my apron- I have honestly forgot I've put stuff in my apron for safe keeping before in the past- then I got a call from work and it was him and he said that they looked at the security camera and it looked like I had moved them possibly in my apron. I said oh well maybe I could check because I didn't remember and then ' checked and said that I had forgotten and that I was really sorry but I still feel like a piece of **** and I hope my coworker doesn't think I'm a piece of **** because I've never done that before and I'm always helping people out and turning in lost or forgotten items. I don't know why I did this. I'm posting here because I didn't know where else to post. . ..

(and I thought it'd be best to post here because I have absentmindedly held on to pens and other small items in the past- so maybe this fits in the category of kleptomania?)

[Mygrandjourney]

Please do what you can to make this right, both for yourself and for whomever the headphones belonged to. AS they say, the truth will set you free!

[ManOfConstantSorrow]

You made a poor judgement call I suppose. Who doesn't from time to time? No need for prolonged remorse. You will know better in future.

[AbsurdBlackBear]

To me it sounds like you made a bad moral judgement call. As Mygrandjourney said, just try to do what you can to make things right. I don't think you're a bad person, I know you to well to think that, good people can do bad things at times, the difference is you felt bad about it and hopefully you'll make things right. The other things simply sound like absent-mindedness.

Here are the DSM-5 criteria for kleptomania if you're interested though.

• You have a recurrent inability to resist urges to steal objects that aren't needed for personal use or monetary value
• You feel increasing tension immediately before committing the theft
• You have feelings of pleasure, relief or gratification during the act of stealing
• The theft isn't committed as a way to exact revenge or to express anger and isn't done while hallucinating or delusional
• The stealing isn't related to a conduct disorder, a manic episode of bipolar disorder or antisocial personality disorder

[AngstyLady]

Originally Posted by AbsurdBlackBear

To me it sounds like you made a bad moral judgement call. As Mygrandjourney said, just try to do what you can to make things right. I don't think you're a bad person, I know you to well to think that, good people can do bad things at times, the difference is you felt bad about it and hopefully you'll make things right. The other things simply sound like absent-mindedness.

Here are the DSM-5 criteria for kleptomania if you're interested though.

• You have a recurrent inability to resist urges to steal objects that aren't needed for personal use or monetary value
• You feel increasing tension immediately before committing the theft
• You have feelings of pleasure, relief or gratification during the act of stealing
• The theft isn't committed as a way to exact revenge or to express anger and isn't done while hallucinating or delusional
• The stealing isn't related to a conduct disorder, a manic episode of bipolar disorder or antisocial personality disorder

Yeah, I text my coworker again this morning apologizing for my absentmindedness and he didn't respond- I feel bad, I may have klepto tendencies.

[Nammu]

Please don't label yourself. Sometimes self labeling can become a type of forecasting. Talk to your T. It sounds more like a bad judgment call coupled with experiences of absent mindness. Forgive yourself, learn from it and move forward.