Friday, November 13, 2026
After four decades of using and abusing drugs, Freeport resident Julio Martinez is wholly familiar with the detrimental effects of addiction.
Starting at age 10, he began frequently drinking alcohol and using illicit drugs, and after multiple overdoses as an adult, Martinez realized he needed help. Now he's assisting others in overcoming addiction.
Martinez, 58, lives in his own apartment in Freeport, two years after surviving a near-fatal overdose. While he now has rebuilt relationships with relatives, navigated difficult grief and developed a growing sense of purpose, Martinez’s journey to his current peace was rarely ever smooth.
Growing up in the Bronx, his childhood consisted of being the victim of physical and emotional abuse, which was often accompanied by drug abuse. Even after moving to Locust Valley later in his youth, the culture shock and bad habits kept creeping into his life.
“I was used to burnt-down building around me,” he explained. “I come out here (to Locust Valley), and there’s golf courses. I thought I was in the country, so every time I got a chance, I ran away and went back to the Bronx.”
Heroin was Martinez’s frequent drug of choice, on which he overdosed several times. He said that he would also venture into using cocaine or speedball, a mixture of cocaine and heroin, as well as drinking a lot of tequila.
The last few months of Martinez’s drug usage were particularly dark. He said that after his son was murdered on Nov. 25, 2021, he began increasing his drug usage and would also unknowingly use fentanyl-laced drugs. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is 100 times more potent than morphine and can be fatal when used without medical supervision.
“His death almost became my death,” he said. “I started shooting heroin, and while I was there, I was just thinking that I wasn’t afraid to die. I was like, ‘I’ll go with my son. I’ll go meet my brother. I’ll go meet my mother.’ And, all of a sudden, I realized I was afraid to live.”
After waking up in a hospital and being unconscious for an extended period of time from what would be his final overdose in 2024, Martinez finally acknowledged that he needed help. He would get that help from the Mercy Medical Center Recovery House in Uniondale, which is a part of the Catholic Health system. He embraced the detox and rehabilitation process, working with both mental and physical health professionals.
“I think what impacts me the most was people showing me they care,” Martinez told the Herald. “Whether it was in rehab, whether it was Mercy Recovery House … I don’t feel alone.”
Julia Patterson, a licensed mental health counselor, was one of the professionals who worked with him, noting how committed Martinez was to the process of getting better.
“From the first moment I met him, he was very much into being in treatment,” Patterson said. “He’s had a lot of barriers and things he’s had to overcome in his life.”
Martinez’s commitment to wellness did not stop with his own personal recovery, however. As he started to overcome his own issues, Martinez began looking to help others with similar struggles as well.
“He has just his knack for connecting and being able to get people to open up, too,” Patterson explained. “He’s almost like a big brother. He’s very passionate about helping others and sharing things that people don’t often talk about.”
Martinez now leads Narcotics Anonymous meetings at the Freeport Memorial Library beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursdays. He also is responsible for the distribution of literature and pamphlets to similar meetings across Nassau County each month.
“NA is ‘Never alone, never again,’” he said, reciting the Narcotics Anonymous slogan. “And since I started my journey, I haven’t felt alone.”
Martinez encourages anyone who may be struggling with narcotics addictions and drug abuse to give recovery and support programs — like the one provided by Catholic Health — a chance.
“Nobody will turn you away. You’ll be embraced,” he said. “I know people, when they first come in, they don’t hug people, but we hug people. We do hugs instead of drugs.”
If you or someone you know is having a mental or drug-related crisis, call (516) 705-2248 to reach Mercy Hospital’s 24/7 crisis line. If the situation is an emergency, call 911.
