Nico Morales

Title : My stuff hurts: Internal pain expressed in external ways

Abstract:

There are many forms of expressing pain and hurt. It may be a learned behavior; replicating the actions and behaviors of a respected individual. It may be unconscious, each time hurt happens it is relieved with a specific food, drink, substance or action. It may be a cultural or traditional method to manage pain. Whether it is physical, mental or emotional pain, it needs to be communicated and expressed in a healthy way. In this engaging presentation audience members will be taken through a story of lived experience expressing pain in unhealthy behaviors, activities and the subsequent results. Audience members will leave with an applicable method to do a self pulse check. The audience's communication skills will be enhanced throughout this presentation. Audience members will be more equipped to communicate with their family, co-workers and other professionals supporting them about the pain or uncomfortable emotions they may be experiencing. While pain is part of life's experience it must be expressed in constructive methods. Each individual will have their own way of expressing their pain,the communication skills taught in this presentation will go over pace and priority when audience members feel their mental health or wellness is being affected. The presentation will encourage the audience to engage with professionals before the pain becomes unmanageable. The objective of this presentation is to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to effectively communicate with self-awareness.

The presentation will cover

- Communicating assertively

- Understanding and recognizing logical v. Emotional thoughts

- A technique to increase self-awareness

The audience will leave with encouragement and inspiration to engage support before their pain affects their mental health and wellness.

Biography:

Nico Morales was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was an athlete, opiate user, alcohol drinker and now is an author, graduate, and business owner. Nico grew up with both parents in a middle-class household. Nico had adverse childhood experiences that he repressed, this mental unrest led to an exploration of substances, eventually propelling him into opiate use disorder. By twenty-two, Nico was living out of his truck and spent most of his time  finding odd, sometimes illegal ways to make money to support his drug habit. After seeing others close to him pass from overdoses and recounting the times he came near death he recognized there was a reason he was still living. He put down the needle and unfortunately he picked up a bottle. The cycle of addiction repeated itself and because of the to the extent of Nico’s over drinking he found himself staying in a building with only electricity. After exploring different counseling techniques that were not successful Nico turned to an alternative method for care. He now uses his lived experience to share topics and tools that he picked up through trial and error. Nico opened No Halo LLC in 2019 a brand for personal and professional development, has published a book, and loves green chile. Thank you for listening as he shares a story of hope.