Heard 2 staff say I stole something

ukperson69

I was at work yesterday and heard a manager and member of staff say I had stolen a drink.
Now I've been going through benzo and alcohol withdrawal as I've quit both, began to have a panic attack so to calm my self down I was trying to remember what someone at home asked me to buy and I saw the product in front of me so I opened the package so I could to to pay for it, this is where the camera is so believed I was doing nothing wrong but then with both withdrawals kicking in I began to feel like I was about to vomit so I ran around the corner to the toilet where the camera cannot see I dropped the drink before I entered the toilet and then went to sit down in the staff room.
Afterwards I went back to the shop floor to continue what I was doing when some panic came across me again so went to sit down again in the staff room and noticed my bag had been gone through as was slightly different to how I put it. Decided to open it when I saw the drink that I had opened from the package was the same drink in my bag but was empty as was already drunk.

Afterwards this is when I heard them saying I had stolen a drink but was not true as I remember the drink still being on the floor as is a drink I usually enjoy.
I was not confronted about it by security or the manager and was not searched on my way out. If I had been I could have explained where the other drink I had dropped and that they were both different.
At that time I was still having a slight panic and just wanted to leave.

Was not at work today as I'm off no one has contacted me today but working tomorrow and afraid of what they will say tomorrow as there is no way to prove I had dropped the item and there is no real evidence for them to accuse me of stealing even though the same brand drink was in my bag.

Am I likely to lose my job do you think, I've never stolen in my life and never had problems at work, been working for 4 years for the company.

sangie595

I'm giving the benefit of the (school holiday) doubt....Really? You are an addict and you opened something to distract yourself from withdrawal? You don't open something to pay for it! I don't believe this - and this is your version of the story!

If you are genuine, then you are an addict. You need help, and you need to get help. Speak to your GP, and then you need to talk to your employer about the help they may be able to offer you. Employers are generally not monsters. But you have invited this problem, and you may do so again. If not this time, sooner or later it may catch up with you. Good on you for trying to get over your addiction. But you can't do this alone, and you can't expect support from your employer if you don't tell them you need it.

nimbo

Have you sought help for your withdrawals? Detoxing off alcohol too quickly can kill you. You need to ensure that you have medical advice and support readily available to you.

Also is work really the best place to be withdrawing?

ukperson69

Sangre, I didn't open the product I opened the plastic packaging around the cans.

Nimbo I've tried calling my local addicts centre in my local hospital but no one ever seems to answer.

I have told work I quit alcohol and how I'm feeling but they don't seem to understand me. I've been working a lot more recently which took my mind of it but on Saturday was very quiet in the evening which caused me to feel sick.

Also withdrawing from a benzo addiction at the same time doesn't help.

It just makes me more anxious now what will happen tomorrow as I didn't actually steal anything but I'm guessing they won't believe me.

Manxman_in_exile

nimbo wrote: »

Have you sought help for your withdrawals? Detoxing off alcohol too quickly can kill you. You need to ensure that you have medical advice and support readily available to you.

Also is work really the best place to be withdrawing?

This is very true. If you have become physically dependant (the NHS does not like to call it "addicted") on alcohol and stop drinking, you will suffer withdrawal symptoms such as DTs. This is potentially a medical emergency and could result in seizures and or death.


If you are physically dependant on alcohol you need clinical experts to provide you with a planned and safe reduction in consumption, or you need inpatient detox.


Do not just stop drinking - seek help from your GP.


(PS - I'm not sure either panic attacks or vomiting are alcohol withdrawal symptom(?).

Manxman_in_exile

ukperson69 wrote: »

Sangre, I didn't open the product I opened the plastic packaging around the cans.

Nimbo I've tried calling my local addicts centre in my local hospital but no one ever seems to answer.

I have told work I quit alcohol and how I'm feeling but they don't seem to understand me. I've been working a lot more recently which took my mind of it but on Saturday was very quiet in the evening which caused me to feel sick.

Also withdrawing from a benzo addiction at the same time doesn't help.

It just makes me more anxious now what will happen tomorrow as I didn't actually steal anything but I'm guessing they won't believe me.

Simple - I used to work for a NHS mental health trust providing drug and alcohol recovery services. If you are suffering alcohol withdrawal symptoms, go to A&E - alcohol withdrawal can kill you (assuming this is a genuine thread and not an irresponsible adolescent).


Clinical colleagues explained to me that the classic media "cold turkey" symptoms of heroin withdrawal were actually much less severe and much less dangerous than alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Just stopping heroin won't kill you, but stopping drinking (if you are physically dependant) could kill you or cause seizures. God knows about "benzo withdrawal".


OP - if what you've posted about your withdrawal symptoms is true, losing your job might be the least of your problems...

Diamandis

This is quite difficult to understand. You took a can but put it on the floor and happened to have an empty can of the same drink in your bag even though you're no longer drinking? Is that correct?

ukperson69

It is difficult to understand and this is a genuine thread. It is difficult to understand because I've been drinking heavily for the last 10 years and not having any alcohol in me for a week now is really getting to me.

I did take the can from the packaging because it's something that's familiar to me, there were none on the shelf so had to take them from the back the camera is facing right there but doesn't show around the corner where I left the can as the nausea began to kick in again.

The fact that I will likely lose my job will only make me more stressed and go back to drinking deadly levels of alcohol.
The fact that they didn't bother to do a staff search or confront me about it also has me worried.

There is no point in me lying, if I had stolen the can which costs £2 I would say as its an anonymous forum and it wouldn't get me anywhere lying.

Manxman_in_exile

Diamandis wrote: »

This is quite difficult to understand. You took a can but put it on the floor and happened to have an empty can of the same drink in your bag even though you're no longer drinking? Is that correct?

Err...yes. I think the OP is implying, somewhat incoherently (perhaps as a result of withdrawal?) that the empty can was "planted" as they do not recall drinking it.


If the OP has stopped drinking and is genuinely suffering alcohol withdrawal symptoms, they may need immediate medical intervention. If physically dependant on alcohol, just stopping is extremely dangerous and DTs are no laughing matter.


(That's assuming this is not a Christmas wind up)

Manxman_in_exile

ukperson69 wrote: »

It is difficult to understand and this is a genuine thread. It is difficult to understand because I've been drinking heavily for the last 10 years and not having any alcohol in me for a week now is really getting to me.

I did take the can from the packaging because it's something that's familiar to me, there were none on the shelf so had to take them from the back the camera is facing right there but doesn't show around the corner where I left the can as the nausea began to kick in again.

The fact that I will likely lose my job will only make me more stressed and go back to drinking deadly levels of alcohol.
The fact that they didn't bother to do a staff search or confront me about it also has me worried.

There is no point in me lying, if I had stolen the can which costs £2 I would say as its an anonymous forum and it wouldn't get me anywhere lying.

That isn't necessarily a "withdrawal symptom". You may just have become accustomed to having (or you think "needing" a drink),


If you are having physical withdrawal symptoms seek medical advice from A&E or at least your GP. (Your GP will probably say, reluctantly, that you need to have a drink to avoid possibly serious consequences that they can't deal with in the surgery).


If you are genuinely suffering alcohol withdrawal symptoms (eg DTs, hallucinations) this is potentially far more serious than job problems.


(EDIT: If you aren't physically dependant yet, don't go back to drinking whatever happens to your job. If you do, you will regret it)

ohreally

Have you informed your employer about your dependency issues (before this took off)?