Where optimism is still intact and denial is fully operational.
At Cookie Recovery Group, New Admissions documents the earliest stages of exposure, when individuals still believe they are “just having one,” when explanations feel reasonable, and when blame can still be outsourced to children, circumstances, or math errors.
Below are firsthand accounts from members during their initial intake period. These stories are shared with compassion, discretion, and minimal judgment.
“I was going to tell him. I just needed more time.”
Case File: Tarah
Status: Newly Admitted
Exposure Level: Severe
Household Impact: Significant
Tarah was delivered two dozen cookies intended for her family while her husband was at work. She described the plan as “responsible distribution over several days.” By the time her husband returned home, there was one cookie left.
Over the course of two days, Tarah had consumed nearly the entire supply. When questioned, she initially blamed the missing cookies on her four-year-old. The husband was thankful he had at least one cookie, and proclaimed they were “delicious.”
However, she failed to disclose that the child in question had licked the final cookie and dropped it on the floor, rendering it unsalvageable. The cookie sat untouched on the counter, intended for disposal.
Tarah silently debated whether honesty would improve the situation of her husband eating the cookie in question. “I mean, he obviously didn’t see the mile-long hair embedded in the cookie.” She ultimately chose omission.
Tarah reports mixed emotions, including guilt, pride, and a growing awareness that “two dozen” is not the safety buffer she once believed it to be.
Assessment Notes:
- ✔️ Early denial observed
- ✔️ Rationalization present
- ✔️ Child used as plausible cover story
- ❌ Inventory control unsuccessful
Prognosis:
Recovery is possible. Trust rebuilding may take time. Future deliveries should not occur during unsupervised hours.
Intake Form – Click to Open
Intake Questionnaire — New Admissions
Subject: Tarah
Referral Type: Holiday Exposure / Unsupervised Household Delivery
Date of Intake: Within 48 hours of first bite
Total Cookies Involved: Two dozen (24)
Consumption & Awareness
How many cookies did you think you ate?
“Maybe four or five? Over the whole weekend.”
How many cookies were later confirmed missing?
Twenty-three.
At what point did counting stop?
After the first evening, when counting became emotionally unsafe.
Did you break cookies “to pace yourself”?
Yes. Multiple times. Portions became theoretical.
Behavior Indicators
Were any cookies consumed standing up?
Yes. Most notably during kitchen transitions.
Did you eat cookies alone to avoid judgment?
Yes. Preferably when the house was quiet.
Were crumbs hidden or disposed of discreetly?
Yes. Crumbs were wiped, vacuumed, and mentally denied.
Did you check the tin again after it was empty?
Yes. Twice. Once “just in case.”
Rationalization Phase
Did you convince yourself coconut is “basically healthy”?
Yes. Coconut was classified as “fiber-adjacent.”
Did you refer to cookies as a “meal”?
Yes. Lunch was quietly redefined.
Did you say “I’ll just have half” and mean it?
Yes. The cookie did not cooperate.
Social Impact
Were explanations offered without being asked?
Yes. Preemptively.
Were children implicated?
Yes. A four-year-old was cited as a potential accomplice.
Did you feel relief when others confirmed the cookies were good?
Yes. Validation reduced guilt by approximately 12%.
Early Dependency Signals
Did you feel anxious about running out?
Yes. Anxiety increased noticeably after tin felt “lighter.”
Did you save the last cookie?
Attempted. Ultimately failed.
Did you mentally calculate when cookies might return?
Yes. Holidays, birthdays, and “just because” scenarios were reviewed.
Clinical Summary
Subject exhibits classic early-stage exposure behavior, including accelerated consumption, internal negotiation, and narrative management.
Denial was brief. Acceptance arrived too late.
Prognosis:
Stable, remorseful, and fully aware the cookies were worth it.
Recommended Follow-Up:
Time, distance from the tin, and acceptance that some truths do not need to be shared with one’s spouse.
Clinical Notes – Click to Open
Clinical Notes — Case File: Tarah
Status: New Admission
Exposure Type: Unsupervised household delivery
Volume: Two dozen units
Timeframe: ~48 hours
Collateral Damage: Family trust, counter integrity, plausible deniability
Initial Assessment
Subject presented with delayed disclosure following a high-volume cookie exposure event. Initial narrative minimized personal involvement and emphasized environmental factors, including household presence of a four-year-old and the absence of supervising adults. Timeline inconsistencies emerged during follow-up conversation but were not aggressively challenged.
Observed affect was calm, cooperative, and notably proud, an indicator frequently associated with early-stage rationalization.
Behavioral Observations
Consumption appears to have occurred in multiple phases, suggesting intentional pacing rather than impulsive bingeing. Evidence supports a pattern of escalating commitment, where initial restraint gave way to efficiency. Standing consumption is suspected but unconfirmed.
Subject demonstrated advanced discretion skills, including counter management and selective omission of key details. Notably, the final cookie was neither consumed nor discarded, indicating an unresolved emotional attachment and possible guilt response.
Social Dynamics
Blame displacement was attempted but incomplete. Subject did not fully implicate the child, instead allowing ambiguity to persist. This suggests emerging ethical conflict, a promising sign for long-term insight.
Spousal response was unexpectedly affirming, reinforcing the subject’s internal narrative that the product quality, not personal weakness, was the primary factor. This external validation likely delayed self-recognition by several hours.
Prognosis
Short-term recovery is unlikely. Subject remains functional and socially integrated, but future exposure carries elevated risk. Without intervention, recurrence probability increases significantly during holidays, unexpected deliveries, or moments of unsupervised quiet.
That said, the subject shows early awareness markers and retains a sense of humor, both positive indicators for eventual acceptance.
Clinical Recommendation
No immediate treatment required. Advise continued observation, delayed refills, and the establishment of firm household boundaries around tins. Documentation of future exposure events is encouraged.
Relapse risk: High
Denial level: Moderate
Long-term outlook: Manageable with distance and time
Clinical Addendum – Secondary Exposure Risk
Spousal Exposure:
Husband reported consuming the final remaining cookie after it had been licked and dropped by a four-year-old, then quietly staged for disposal.
Assessment:
While primary exposure was limited to a single cookie, secondary risk factors include:
- Consumption under false pretenses
- Lack of informed consent
- Elevated praise response (“It was delicious”) despite contamination awareness
Plan:
Husband should be monitored for delayed symptoms, including:
- Unjustified enthusiasm for future cookie deliveries
- Increased tolerance for compromised baked goods
- Early signs of relapse curiosity (“Are there any more?”)
At this time, no intervention is recommended beyond observation.
However, household members are advised that tainted cookies may still produce dependency.
“Someone Definitely Took More Than One. We Just Don’t Know Who.”
Case Study: Group Exposure Event — EOC Activation
Status: Group Admission
Exposure Level: Widespread
Operational Environment: Active Disaster Response
Supply Volume: Approximately four dozen cookies
Containment Outcome: Failed
During a recent Emergency Operations Center activation, approximately four dozen cookies were introduced into the EOC environment by an external source. The cookies were placed in a common area and initially received with appropriate professional restraint.
Within minutes, staff members began monitoring consumption patterns.
Early on, normal workplace behavior was observed: polite acceptance, verbal appreciation, and deliberate pacing. This phase was brief.
As operational tempo increased, so did awareness of the cookie supply. Individuals were observed tracking who had taken one, who had taken two, and who appeared to be circling back under the pretense of unrelated tasks.
The Director later reported that she maintains a private reserve of Chips Ahoy at home “to deal with the withdrawals.” This was described not as a preference, but as a coping mechanism, a temporary substitute used when access to the primary cookies is unavailable. She also acknowledged waiting until most personnel had left for the day before approaching the remaining cookies, citing privacy. This explanation was met with silent skepticism.
Tension in the EOC became palpable.
Personnel began watching each other more closely than the incident board. Casual conversation masked quiet calculations. The phrase “Are these the last ones?” was asked more than once, by different sections, each time with increasing urgency.
Section-specific behaviors emerged:
- Logistics reportedly removed a cookie from the room with the stated intent of “reverse engineering the recipe.” The cookie never reached the warehouse and was not recovered.
- Planning was overheard discussing informal rationing concepts, including “one per operational period” and “last-cookie equity.”
- Operations demonstrated direct action, consuming cookies immediately upon acquisition, citing decisiveness.
As the supply dwindled, morale spiked briefly — then collapsed. By the end of the operational period, no cookies remained. Several staff members lingered unnecessarily near the empty tin.
No one formally acknowledged the end.
The Director later stated that Chips Ahoy were consumed that evening “out of necessity.”
Assessment Notes
✔️ Widespread exposure confirmed
✔️ Substitute coping mechanisms identified (gateway cookies)
✔️ Delayed consumption behaviors observed
✔️ Group monitoring and tension present
✔️ Recipe reconstruction attempt documented
❌ No inventory accountability
❌ No clear leadership on final cookie allocation
Intake Form – Click to Open
Group Intake Questionnaire
Case File: EOC Activation (Multi-Disciplinary Exposure)
Participants: Operations, Planning, Logistics, Command, Support Staff
Setting: Emergency Operations Center
Stress Level at Time of Exposure: Elevated
Cookie Quantity Introduced: Approximately four dozen
Declared Purpose: “Morale”
Consumption & Awareness
How many cookies did you think you personally ate?
Most respondents estimated one. Several later revised their answer to two. One individual stated “I lost track when the briefing ran long.”
How many cookies were later confirmed missing?
The number exceeded initial projections. Inventory reconciliation was abandoned.
At what point did counting stop?
Counting ceased shortly after the phrase “we should probably slow down” was spoken aloud.
Did anyone break cookies ‘to pace themselves’?
Yes. Breaking was described as “strategic” and “temporary.” No halves were later accounted for.
Behavior Indicators
Were cookies consumed standing up?
Yes. Frequently. Often while pretending to review situation reports.
Did anyone wait until others left the room?
Yes. This behavior was rationalized as “avoiding distraction” and “end-of-shift self-care.”
Were crumbs managed discreetly?
Crumbs were brushed into napkins, pockets, and once into a trash can labeled “documentation.”
Did anyone check the cookie area after it was empty?
Yes. Multiple times. Some respondents referred to this as “just making sure.”
Rationalization Phase
Did anyone compare the cookies to lesser alternatives?
Yes. One participant openly stated that store-bought cookies were being used to “manage withdrawals.”
Were cookies referred to as a meal?
At least once. Possibly twice. One respondent described a cookie as “basically lunch.”
Did anyone claim the cookies were ‘earned’?
Yes. Stress, long hours, and “dealing with Coordination calls” were cited.
Social Dynamics & Group Impact
Was there visible tension regarding distribution?
Yes. Eye contact increased. Movement near the cookie area was monitored.
Did participants watch to see who might take an extra cookie?
Yes. This was described as “unintentional but unavoidable.”
Did any section attempt independent mitigation strategies?
- Planning: Discussed informal rationing schedules.
- Logistics: Considered relocating a cookie to the warehouse for analysis. Cookie did not arrive.
- Command: Maintained plausible deniability.
Early Dependency Signals
Did anxiety increase as quantities diminished?
Yes. Noticeably.
Did anyone mentally calculate how long the cookies were expected to last?
Yes. Incorrectly.
Did anyone mention future opportunities for cookie reappearance?
Yes. Often framed as hypothetical.
Group Summary
The group demonstrated classic early-stage exposure symptoms, amplified by stress, authority gradients, and shared responsibility diffusion. Individual restraint decreased in proportion to collective optimism.
Relapse risk is considered high during future activations.
Clinical Notes – Click to Open
Case Study #2: Group Exposure Event — EOC Activation
Case Identifier: EOC-CRG-004
Setting: Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
Trigger Event: Disaster activation, prolonged operational period
Exposure Vector: Approximately four (4) dozen coconut s’more cookies, introduced voluntarily by a known repeat exposure source
Initial Presentation
During a recent EOC activation, a large quantity of homemade cookies was introduced into a high-stress, high-cognitive-load environment under the guise of “morale support.” The cookies were placed in a shared area with no formal guidance, supervision, or consumption protocol.
Initial reactions were calm. Professional. Even restrained.
This phase lasted approximately six (6) minutes.
Escalation Phase
Following the first wave of consumption, a noticeable shift occurred across multiple sections. Conversations slowed. Eye contact with the cookie container increased. Individuals began hovering under the pretense of “just walking by.”
A palpable tension developed as personnel became aware that the supply, while initially appearing abundant, was finite.
Several staff members were observed mentally tracking cookie distribution, though no formal log was established. Side glances increased. Movement near the cookie area became deliberate.
Adaptive Behaviors Observed
The EOC Director openly acknowledged the long-term effects of prior exposure, stating that she now purchases Chips Ahoy to manage cravings during extended periods without access to the real cookies.
This substitute was described not as satisfactory, but as necessary.
“They help with the withdrawals,” she reportedly stated.
This admission suggests the use of a gateway cookie — a coping mechanism intended to blunt symptoms rather than resolve them.
Notably, the Director was also observed remaining in the EOC after others had left, under unclear operational justification. Several staff members later expressed suspicion that this timing coincided with unsupervised cookie access.
No one formally accused. Everyone noticed.
Section-Specific Manifestations
Logistics Section
Reports indicate that at least one individual attempted to discreetly remove a cookie from the EOC with the intent of transporting it to the warehouse. The stated goal was “analysis.” Unofficially, this appeared to be an attempt to reverse-engineer the recipe.
The cookie reportedly never made it to its destination.
No further questions were asked.
Planning Section
Planning personnel were overheard discussing informal rationing concepts, including hypothetical distribution schedules and “fair share” models. One staff member allegedly suggested that cookies should be consumed in alignment with operational periods.
This proposal was not implemented, largely due to lack of authority and immediate resistance from Operations.
Operations Section
Displayed classic competitive behaviors. Quick consumption. Immediate returns for “one more.” Heightened situational awareness regarding who had already eaten and who had not.
At least one individual was observed circling back after stating they were “done.”
They were not.
Group Dynamics
As the activation progressed, collective anxiety increased. Individuals monitored the container more closely. Conversations paused when someone stood up. Silence fell when the lid was lifted.
No one wanted to be the person who took the last cookie.
Everyone was willing to be the person who took the second-to-last.
Post-Exposure Indicators
After the cookies were depleted, staff reported:
- Mild irritability
- Decreased satisfaction with standard snacks
- An unusual emotional attachment to the empty container
- Lingering discussion of the cookies well after operational needs had shifted
One staff member described the experience as “unfair, but also perfect.”
Summary Assessment
This case represents a mass exposure event with cross-functional impact. The cookies functioned as both morale booster and destabilizing agent, introducing scarcity dynamics into an already complex operational environment.
While no formal incident report was filed, the behavioral residue persisted beyond the operational period.
Relapse risk: High
Substitute dependency: Confirmed
Likelihood of future anticipation during activations: Near certain