Uncover the Mole in your Addicted Mind
In espionage jargon, a mole (also called a “penetration agent”, “deep cover agent”, or “sleeper agent”) is a spy who is recruited to penetrate and sabotage an organization from the inside. When one is addicted to drugs or alcohol, it’s as if they have a mole in their mind who is feeding them with false information. If you have tried a quit a bad habit, then you are probably familiar with the shift in your thoughts. One moment you know you need to stop, and you feel ready to take the necessary steps, and the next moment you find yourself rationalizing those thoughts away. This is the mole at work providing you with bad intelligence. The mole tells you that you don’t need to stop, and its appetite insatiable.
Addicts cannot trust their own thoughts because their thoughts have been penetrated. They must share their thoughts with others who are capable of uncovering the mole. This could be a mental health professional, drug and alcohol abuse counselor, sober companion, or member of a recovery meeting with a significant amount of sobriety time. 12-step meetings ask members to turn themselves over to a higher power. Many people who are not religious get stuck on this concept. What they do not realize is that their higher power can be the power of the group. The group can help them identify which thoughts are coming from the mole and which thoughts are their own.
Examples of Mole Thoughts
“I can smoke weed sometimes. My problem was alcohol.”
“I don’t need to stop drinking. I just need to stay away from hard liquor.”
“I will quit smoking cigarettes after I finish this pack.”
“I am young, and I am just trying to have a good time. I have plenty of time to stop using when I get older.”
“I am different than the people at these recovery meetings. I don’t need to be here.”
“I am in control of my behavior. I just don’t want to stop right now. I will stop tomorrow.”
Examples of Self-Thoughts that should be listened to
I am scared.
I think I need help.
I don’t want to do this anymore.
I feel ashamed.
Do addicts have a choice?
Many would argue that addicts have no control over their own behavior. This is a controversial topic because to those who have never been addicted, it looks as if the addict is choosing to be self-destructive. I mean, who is administering the drug? They are! Right?
However, addicts are being manipulated by the mole in their mind and they don’t know the mole is there. The mole is providing false information and it is influencing their choices. Thus, they are not choosing to administer themselves with poison. They are choosing to administer comfort and pleasure because the mole is telling them it will make them feel better. Addicts do have a choice though, but it is an incredibly difficult choice. They have the choice to seek help, but making that choice is like trying to listen to a whisper in a room full of loud voices. It starts with walking into a recovery meeting or asking someone to take you to one.