Nico Morales: From Addict to Author - Substance Abuse and Transformation

Academic Survival

Claiming sobriety from the depths of rock bottom, Nico Morales experienced the power of transformation.

"I have learned to claim the term 'addict' with some positivity to it - I have acquired a better advantage and I have to be intentional about what I'm doing." - Nico Morales

Nico Morales is an international published author, public speaker, small business owner, and recovering addict from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has a bachelor's degree in Education.

Nico Morales was introduced to substances at the age of 10 and began using when he was 14 years. His relationships with his family deteriorated, and on his 27th birthday, he found himself alone and without anyone to turn to. He had hit rock bottom. But that was the beginning of his journey to recovery.

In this episode, you will learn the following:

1. How Nico Morales began using substances at age 14 and the long-term implications of his decisions.

2. The damaging effect of substance use on Nico's relationships with family and friends.

3. The consequences of being diagnosed with an addiction, including the difficulties of being referred for help.

Resources:

Nico's Website: https://www.nohalonm.com/

5 Things to Know Before You Get Sober - Amazon Link

Nico's Social Media:

Nico's IG

Nico's YouTube

Nico's LinedIn

Other episodes you'll enjoy:

Balancing Preferences & Priorities: Darrell Horn's College Journey

Academic Endurance, Overcoming Challenges, and Self Reflection with Ahmara Watson

Connect with me:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AcademicSurvivalPodcast

Website: www.AcademicSurvival.com

Website: www.ShandraLMcDonald.com

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Chapter Summaries:

[00:00:05]

Nico Morales began using substances when he was just 14 years old. His alcohol and opioid use destroyed his relationships with his friends and his family. He wrote a book titled Five Things to Know Before You Get Sober. Nico shares his story and how he got sober.

[00:02:01]

Today is a special episode of Academic Survival dedicated to my uncle, Samuel McDonald. Today we are going to be speaking with Nico morales, and he is going to talk to us about the journey of consuming alcohol. Where it can lead you and the other side of it in terms of recovery.

[00:03:46]

When was your first introduction to drugs and or alcohol? Probably around the age of ten. I started using substances when I was 14 years old.

[00:05:33]

Axe Body spray mixed with some cannabis. Probably that stuff stunk. That's one indicator of somebody's use when I got home. The way that it worked out is that nobody was going to get home for a few hours.

[00:06:29]

Smoking cannabis allowed my brain to slow down. The detrimental part, the part that got me hooked, was that slowing down gave me time to process what I was doing. The long term implications are still unknown for me.

[00:12:39]

He doesn't have any of the friends that he used to have. He says a friend tried to tell him to change his lifestyle, but he didn't heed his advice. Have you ever thought about reaching out to him?

[00:16:19]

There were a couple of people that I brought down with me. One of my best friends got him hooked. They surrounded themselves with me, thinking I was a positive influence. For every individual who sold drugs, 500 people die.

[00:17:32]

My family relationships got completely ruined because of my alcohol consumption, my opiate use disorder. Now because they got ruined. They are being rebuilt. But at the time, all of them crumbled to nada niltz.

[00:20:28]

Nico: They actually don't diagnose anybody as being an addict. Addict is a term that was come up by society, taken from addiction. The clinically proper terms that they want us to use is person first disorders. Nico made sure to keep all of his stuff off paperwork.

[00:24:25]

When I hit rock bottom, I didn't have anybody around. It was actually my 27th birthday. I lived a life that just wasn't safe and wasn't healthy. When I stopped drinking, my body started to hurt a lot and I realized I needed a hip replacement.

[00:30:41]

Nico's daily living quality of life had tremendously dropped. What he went through, there's a 1% success rate. But that means that there is a reason that he's here.

[00:32:23]

"I chose to get my hips replaced because I realized that I have value to add to this world," he says. "I could travel, and I could go tell my story. I could inject hope into communities." He hopes his story will help others avoid the pain.

[00:35:18]

My definition of sober means I do not ingest or inject or consume any type of narcotic, whether that's legal or illegal. For me, defining sober means what am I seeking to get immediate gratification from and do I need to? What advice would you give college students trying to mix academic life with drinking?

[00:39:07]

"I was a drug dealer at that time. It really interfered with school. After I dropped out of college, I go back to school when I'm 30," says Nico. He graduated with a bachelor's in business without paying for it. From laying in an abandoned building, to graduating with honors.

[00:43:20]

The book is called Five Things to Know Before You Get Sober. What you'll get out of there is the five things that I believe anybody should know before they attempt sobriety. The best review that I've received so far is it was like my cousin was dropping me off to rehab.

[00:45:41]

How do you celebrate successes or wins in life? So many people associate alcohol with celebration. What I have learned to do is take myself to a nice meal. I like to go get tattoos. That's how I celebrate.

[00:46:54]

One of my favorite places to go to is called gobble this in Old Town, New Mexico. Favorite tattoo? I do not have a favorite tattoo, actually.

[00:49:03]

Five things to know before you get sober. Final parting words. You are an amazing human being who adds tons of value to the community. No one's expecting you to be perfect. It's okay to have no halo.

[00:49:47]

Thank you for joining me on Academic Survival. If you want to share your story on how you survived your freshman year of college, you can reach me at info at shandralmcdonald.com. We'll be back next week with more ways to survive your academic journey.