Our eleventh spotlight in the FACES OF HOPE: WE DO RECOVER series will focus on Michael Nolen’s story, Always say Never
I grew up in a small town of around 1200 ppl. Olive Hill, Ky. Is one of those places hidden in the hills of eastern Ky. where everyone knows your name.
I was a good kid, raised in church, and in an all American household.
My father worked at the mines making just enough to give his 6 kids and wife all the things they needed to make it. My mother worked part time to do her best to help him. I was a straight A student all the way thru school until my senior yr and I got my first few B’s. Missed liked 4 days of school in 13 yrs. (K-12).
Played sports and excelled in all those. I’m a born competitor and winner.
I give all I got at anything and everything I do. I graduated high school level without touching drugs except Marijuana one time. I would drink a little with friends on the weekends but nothing major.
After high school I decided to take a year off school before college and I took a job close to home. October 15th ,1994 ,my father’s birthday, I decided to take that day off and get my father a gift. I was in a head on collision auto accident that nearly took my life. It cut both my legs nearly off and I was in a medically induced sleep due the the injuriesi sustained.
I was hooked to a morphine pump during my stay in the trauma unit and hospital. For 2 weeks I was force fed this poison fir my pain along with vicodin by mouth every 2 hours. After being released I was prescribed morphine via pull form along with more vicodin. I couldn’t walk for months and months. After a long Rigorous physical rehabilitation I could finally walk again and was 90% of my old self. 11 months of this and the medication was finally over. Little to my knowledge I was a full blown addict. I was never warned of the side affects of the opiates. So here I am wondering how I’m going to cope with this want..with this desire. The monkey on my back needed to be fed. I started looking for ways to find pills to ease the torture. I found several places to get them and I started doing what I had to, to get them. My brother put me into the weed game and I started selling it to supply myself with dope.
I applied for college and opened up shop on Morehead state campus selling to college kids.
Shortly after starting school I discovered Oxycontin!!..the devil himself.
My tolerance grew rapidly. I needed more and more. I needed more money due to the cost of these OCS. I then started selling COCAINE…
more money, more dope, and yes more problems.
After a few years of selling the feds started to take notice and they started watching me. They finally got me in 2003 , I started in 1998, and I was indicted 7 times for trafficking in controlled substance. They had 3 different drug task forces watching me. Like I said I was a go hard or go home kinda person. They tracked me from Miami, to Chicago, to Indianapolis and allover the map. I went to jail got out on bail and started tyne hustle again.
Trial came and I was sentenced to 7 years. I got lucky i had a great lawyer.
I went to prison, served 2 years, and then made parole.
Straight out the prison doors back into the game. This time I was going 10× harder than before. After 3 years of this they nailed me again. All this time I’m doing anywhere from 1000milligrams to 1200 a day of Oxicodone.
They indicted me once again and it was off to prison for the 2nd time.
2 more years inside and I was free. Yes you guessed it, I did it again to myself. This time I hit the herion and meth. I was close to dead when I fail a drug screening for my P.O..he sent me to jail fir 10 days with an ultimatum. Go to rehab or face the parole board. I chose rehab.
I showed up at WestCare in Ashcamp ,ky July 9th. After 114 days of breaking myself down and rebooting my thought process I finally found that kid that wrecked that truck 18 years earlier. I was back to myself.
I walked out of there November 1st 2012 and gave my life to God.
The past 4 years 4 months and 17 days have been truly blessed.
I am now married, have a perfect 2 year old son, and just bought my own house.
They say in the program to never say never. My God tells me something different. I never have to live like that again. The story I told you is only a glimmer of the real life I had. The holes in my tales are full of things you couldn’t believe. Things that would make you question my being alive.
God brought me thru to be able to give others hope. To prove that there’s life after addiction and that life is Good. God will NEVER let you down.
Describe your ‘aha’ moment
My Aha moment was the second I realized I was to blame for my addiction.
I regret nothing, I have no resentments,and it made me what I am now.
Describe the feelings and emotions while in active addiction.
It was like the movie “Groundhog Day” …living the same hell over and over.
What is the driving force that keeps you going when times get tough?
My wife, my son,and my family are what drives me to never be that animal again.
What is something that you want people who have never struggled with addiction to know?
Addiction can happen to anyone. It’s a monster that doesn’t discriminate.
Addicts are people just like everyone else, we just made a few bad decisions along the way.
What advice do you have for family members of a person in active addiction?
Educate yourself on addiction and addicts before you jump to conclusions.Try to put yourself in our shoes. Show love, show compassion, and never give up on us.
Closing thoughts?
If I can make it out then anyone can. It takes all you got and then some.
Find God and let him guide you. We’re not able to do it on our own.
Never give up hope and always keep your guard up.
If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, please call Addiction Recovery Care at 606.638.0938 or visit them on the web at www.arccenters.com.
There is hope. There is help.
