Get a Grip Podcast

On this episode of the Get A Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Dustin Ryan for one of the wildest and darkest conversations we’ve had yet. Dustin opens up about growing up surrounded by addiction, chaos, crime, and loss — and how those experiences shaped his life from a young age.From shocking childhood stories and early exposure to drugs and sex, to felony charges, family trauma, and brutal moments from addiction culture, this episode goes deep into the realities most people never see. Dustin shares raw, unfiltered stories about his uncle, life around fentanyl, violence, and the mindset of someone who felt “born an addict.”⚠️ Viewer discretion advised: This episode contains discussions of addiction, crime, death, violence, prostitution, and other disturbing topics.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this powerful episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Dion Evans for an unbelievable story of trauma, addiction, prison, and redemption.Dion’s life started with pain early on. After being hit by a drunk driver as a child and suffering traumatic brain injuries that would permanently impact the way he thought and reacted to the world, his life slowly spiraled into chaos. He talks openly about stealing from a young age, battling an identity crisis, and growing up while his family dealt with the heartbreaking reality of his sister being born sick.As the years went on, the streets and addiction took control. Dion explains how OxyContin became the beginning of a much darker road—one filled with burglaries, police chases, jail cycles, and eventually facing decades behind bars. One of the craziest moments of the episode comes when Dion explains how he received an 18-year prison sentence for robbing a correctional officer’s house while already on the run.Inside prison, everything changed.From humiliation and violence to meeting former Ohio State football star Maurice Clarett behind bars, Dion shares the moments that slowly forced him to confront who he had become. He opens up about apologizing to the correctional officer he robbed, learning accountability, and beginning the long process of rebuilding his life from the ground up.This episode is more than just a prison story. It’s about consequences, transformation, and proving that your worst mistakes don’t have to define the rest of your life.By the end of this conversation, Dion shares where he is today, the accomplishments he’s made since prison, and what life looks like a year after first appearing on the podcast.This is one you do not want to miss.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Chase Tomak for one of the most intense and unfiltered conversations yet—a story that starts in chaos and somehow finds its way to hope.Chase was born into addiction, entering the world as a crack baby and immediately facing odds stacked against him. By the time he was in 5th grade, he was already being expelled from school, and soon after, thrown into a foster care system that would bounce him through over 40 different homes. What he experienced inside those homes is hard to hear—violence, neglect, and kids hurting each other and animals, all while he tried to survive and repeatedly attempted to run away.Eventually landing at Buckeye Boys Ranch, things didn’t stabilize—they escalated. This is where addiction began tightening its grip, setting the stage for a life filled with crime, trauma, and destruction. Chase opens up about deeply disturbing moments from his past, including forcing his own sister into a life-threatening situation, catching serious charges involving kidnapping and weapons, and spiraling further into chaos.Then came fentanyl.Chase describes what he calls “falling in love with fent”—a relationship that nearly cost him everything. Over 100 overdoses. Violence. Running from consequences. Watching the people around him break, including a girlfriend battling her own demons and attempting to take her life.But somehow… he survived.At his lowest point, something shifted. Chase began the long road toward recovery, eventually getting clean and entering treatment. It’s there he meets the woman who would become his wife—but even that journey wasn’t smooth, with relapse still part of the story before real change took hold.This episode is raw, dark, and brutally honest—but it’s also a reminder that even the most broken paths can lead somewhere better.If you or someone you love is struggling, this conversation could be the one that hits home.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this episode of Get A Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Brandon Muth for one of the most intense and eye-opening conversations yet—a story marked by trauma, addiction, violence, and ultimately, transformation.Brandon’s life started with chaos early on, including a near-fatal accident where he was hit by a dump truck as a child, followed by another serious injury not long after. Pain, both physical and mental, became a recurring theme—and by 16, drugs and alcohol had already taken hold.What follows is a rapid descent. Brandon shares how his addiction escalated into reckless and dangerous behavior, including robbing a convenience store on Xanax with socks over his hands in a blackout state. He explains the progression from Loratab to heroin—shockingly influenced by someone in the medical field—and how quickly things spiraled once heroin entered the picture.One of the most chilling moments of the episode comes when Brandon recounts a night where, under the influence of heroin and alcohol, he nearly took a woman’s life—something he has to live with every day. That moment set off a chain of consequences, leading to a potential 16-year prison sentence and a decision to take his case to trial.Brandon takes listeners deep inside the prison system, eventually landing in a level 4, supermax environment. Even behind bars, the addiction didn’t stop—he talks about using meth in prison, the realities of “tune,” and the mental toll it took, including hearing voices and losing touch with reality. The chaos followed him even after release, including violent incidents at a halfway house and being sent back to prison again.He also opens up about the lesser-seen side of incarceration—owing thousands of dollars inside, navigating prison politics, and the constant pressure of survival.But somewhere along the way, something shifted.Brandon shares the moment things finally started to click, what led him to begin changing, and how his mindset today is completely different from the man he once was. His outlook on life, responsibility, and accountability has been hard-earned through years of consequences and reflection.This episode is raw, unsettling, and real—but it’s also a powerful example of how even the darkest paths can lead to change.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this episode of Get A Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Tyler James to tell a story that starts in a quiet small town and spirals into a life consumed by addiction, chaos, and survival.Tyler opens up about his early years, growing up in a place where not much seemed out of the ordinary—until he was introduced to Hydrocodone at 17. What started as experimentation quickly escalated, leading him to Chicago where everything changed. He shares the intense and painful reality of using for the first time intravenously, including missing veins and learning the hard way what he calls “slow” heroin.From there, things accelerate fast. Tyler talks about the dangerous mix of meth and heroin, and how that combination pushed him into a cycle that felt impossible to escape. Legal trouble followed, starting with a DUI, but that was only the beginning. As pills turned into heroin, his life unraveled—leading to homelessness, desperation, and stretches of being awake for weeks at a time while deep in addiction.One of the most intense parts of his story includes being up for three straight weeks, completely caught in the grip of meth and heroin—a moment that captures just how far things had fallen. He also recounts violent encounters on the street, including having a gun pulled on him and being beaten by a dealer, painting a raw picture of the reality that comes with that lifestyle.But Tyler’s story doesn’t end there.He shares the turning point—what finally made him decide to get sober—and what that day actually looked like. The conversation shifts into his life today, including his experience in a Medication-Assisted Treatment (M.A.T.) program and what recovery really looks like on a daily basis.Tyler’s message is honest and direct: recovery isn’t easy, but it’s possible. He closes by offering real advice to anyone struggling, speaking from lived experience rather than theory.This episode is a powerful reminder of how quickly things can fall apart—and how, even after everything, it’s still possible to rebuild.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this episode of Get A Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Michael Larkin to unpack a story that starts in the heat and chaos of Miami and winds its way through addiction, consequences, and ultimately, recovery.Michael takes us back to his early years growing up in Miami, where experimenting started young—first with weed, then quickly escalating into harder substances. He shares what it was like walking into something as normal as an English class while high on cocaine, and how fast that lifestyle became normalized. What begins as curiosity turns into patterns, including getting caught with weed at school and already brushing up against consequences at a young age.One of the standout moments comes when Michael talks about being left alone while his family went on vacation—what should have been freedom quickly turned into something much darker. From there, his journey takes him from Miami to Ohio, where he’s introduced to the drug that would take hold of his life: heroin.Michael opens up about his first time using heroin, the grip it had on him, and the lifestyle that followed. He shares vivid stories from Miami during the early days of his addiction, including catching his first felony charges around the time the McGriddle first dropped—a detail that oddly timestamps one of the lowest points of his life. From fights and warrants to constant run-ins with the law, the chaos only intensified.But the deeper struggle came in the attempts to get clean. Michael speaks honestly about going to rehab not to get better, but still chasing a high. He describes the exhausting cycle of trying—and failing—to stay sober over a two-year stretch, and just how difficult it is to keep going back after relapse. The conversation dives into the mental battle of recovery, the stigma, and the reality of medications like Suboxone.Now on the other side, Michael reflects on where he’s at today and what it really takes to build a life in recovery. His story is raw, unfiltered, and a powerful look at both the darkness of addiction and the possibility of change.If you or someone you know is struggling, this episode is a reminder that even after years of setbacks, there is still a way forward.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this powerful and deeply unsettling episode of the Get A Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Brittany Hanson to uncover a story that is as heartbreaking as it is eye-opening. From the very beginning, Brittany’s life was shaped by instability and danger—growing up without her father and being exposed at a young age to environments no child should ever experience. What follows is a chain of events that pulls her deeper into trauma, survival, and ultimately, addiction.Brittany shares what it was like living under the same roof as a predator, and later being placed into a foster home where life became the complete opposite—strict, sheltered, and disconnected from the outside world. But that sense of safety wouldn’t last. As a young woman trying to find connection, she meets someone online who would change her life forever.What starts as a normal interaction quickly turns into a nightmare. Brittany recounts the chilling moment she woke up strapped to a bed, realizing she had been taken and trafficked. In a shocking turn, a man intervenes—paying $2,000 to get her out and ultimately saving her life. It’s a moment that feels almost unreal, yet it becomes one of the few turning points in an otherwise chaotic journey.From there, Brittany’s story continues through toxic relationships, addiction, and crime. She opens up about being involved with an alcoholic partner, running a drug operation out of her home, and spiraling to the point of robbing a Walmart. Her struggles intensify as substance use takes over—leading to an overdose and deeper involvement with meth and opiates.She also shares the painful reality of falling in love with someone who became violently abusive, and the terrifying moment she realized she had to escape before it cost her life. Through it all, Brittany paints a vivid picture of how quickly things can escalate—and how hard it is to break free once you’re trapped in the cycle.But this episode isn’t just about the darkness. Brittany takes us through her recovery process—what it actually looked like to start over, rebuild, and fight for something different. Her honesty about the long road back and the mental battles along the way brings a sense of hope to an otherwise heavy story.She closes by speaking directly to the audience, offering hard-earned advice for anyone struggling, feeling stuck, or losing hope.This is one of those conversations that stays with you. It’s intense, emotional, and at times difficult to hear—but it’s real. And that’s exactly what Get A Grip Podcast is all about.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this raw and unfiltered episode of the Get A Grip Podcast, Louis Essig takes the conversation out of the studio and into the streets of Columbus, Ohio—coming face-to-face with the harsh realities that so many people walk past every day.This isn’t a distant discussion about addiction or homelessness. It’s real people, real stories, and real pain—captured in the very environments where survival is a daily battle.Louis sits down with men and women living on the streets, many of whom are caught in the grip of alcohol dependency and the devastating rise of fentanyl use. These are individuals with pasts, families, dreams, and turning points—stories that often go unheard beneath the surface of their current circumstances. Through honest conversations, they open up about how they got here, the choices and traumas that shaped their path, and the reality of trying to survive while battling addiction.You’ll hear about the cycle—how quickly things can spiral, how fentanyl has changed the game entirely, and how difficult it is to escape once you’re in it. But you’ll also hear moments of clarity, resilience, and humanity that cut through the chaos—reminders that these are people, not statistics.Louis approaches each conversation without judgment, creating space for honesty and connection in places where both are often rare. The result is a powerful, eye-opening look at addiction and homelessness that challenges assumptions and forces a deeper understanding of what’s really happening behind the scenes.This episode is heavy, but it’s important. It shines a light on a crisis that’s happening in real time—and asks the viewer not to look away.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this eye-opening episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Amber Vance to share a story that starts early—and escalates fast.Amber’s childhood quickly gave way to adult consequences when she found herself pregnant at just 13 years old. She opens up about what it was like navigating middle school while hiding a life-altering secret, and the moment she had to face her family—especially her mother’s reaction. By 14, Amber was raising a child, trying to figure out life while still a kid herself.But the pressure and instability led her down a dangerous path. Amber talks about drinking and smoking as early as 12, and how things intensified after meeting Josh, when she was introduced to Percocets. Addiction began to take root, and her life started to split between motherhood and substance use.One of the most jarring moments in the episode comes when Amber shares that the first time she smoked crack was on her son’s first day of kindergarten—a moment that highlights just how far things had spiraled. From there, she experienced her first opiate withdrawal, faced the painful decision of having an abortion during a second pregnancy, and describes what it was like walking into a clinic surrounded by protestors.As her addiction deepened, so did the consequences. Amber breaks down how she became involved in drug trafficking, the moment everything caught up to her, and how she ultimately got busted—including who turned on her and why. Probation followed, along with an attempt at recovery through Suboxone, but even that came with its own challenges—including a frightening moment involving her young child.Her story continues through the legal system and into deeper addiction—CPS stepping in, losing custody, signing her daughter over to her mother, and serving time in jail. After that, things escalated even further with heroin and eventually meth, as Amber found herself caught in a cycle that seemed impossible to break.Throughout it all, Amber reflects on how addiction impacted her role as a mother and how custody of her children changed over time—decisions and moments that still carry weight today.This episode is raw, emotional, and brutally honest. It sheds light on what happens when trauma, addiction, and responsibility collide at an early age—and how quickly things can spiral.If you’re looking for a story that shows the real-life consequences of addiction and the resilience it takes to keep going, this is one you won’t want to miss.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this deeply emotional and unflinchingly honest episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Nicole Kaufmann to tell a story that cuts straight to the core of trauma, addiction, and survival.Nicole’s journey begins in a chaotic childhood marked by instability and exposure to substance abuse at home—including the haunting memory of her mother taking an entire bottle of Valium. From a young age, Nicole battled severe mental health struggles, including suicidal thoughts that took hold far earlier than most could imagine.As she grew older, drugs became both an escape and a trap. What started with meth and cocaine quickly escalated, especially after being prescribed Xanax. Then came a devastating turning point—losing her mother to an overdose. The grief and pain sent Nicole even deeper, leading to multiple suicide attempts and a cycle of self-destruction that seemed impossible to escape.Her story only intensifies from there. Nicole opens up about surviving abuse in her first marriage, suffering a serious back injury that led to a prescription for Percocet, and the rapid descent into opioid dependence. She shares what it was like to experience brutal oxy withdrawal, moving in with her grandparents in an attempt to stabilize, and facing deeply personal trauma—including being forced into intimacy while her body was shutting down, even entering menopause at just 26.As addiction tightened its grip, Nicole found herself living a double life—delivering pizzas while snorting pills, falling in love with her dealer, and eventually becoming hooked on pressed “30s” and fentanyl. What started as pills turned into powdered fentanyl, pushing her further into dangerous territory.In one of the most powerful moments of the episode, Nicole shares how her grandmother stepped in and paid off her dealer—marking the last day she used fentanyl. But like so many journeys, recovery wasn’t linear. Nicole relapsed, overdosed, and had to fight her way back again, eventually finding stability through Suboxone.She also opens up about the long-term impact addiction and health struggles have had on her life, including battling Long COVID for four years, and the terrifying consequences of using—like driving on Xanax and crashing into a concrete barrier, as well as another accident while high on fentanyl.Nicole’s story is raw, painful, and incredibly real—but it’s also a testament to resilience. Through everything, she continues to fight for her life and her recovery.This episode shines a light on the realities of addiction, trauma, and the long road back. If you’re looking for a story that doesn’t hold back—and shows just how powerful the human spirit can be—you won’t want to miss this one.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig flips the script and sits down with co-host Aaron Garnes to uncover the full story behind the man listeners hear every week.Aaron takes it all the way back to his childhood, shaped by chaos, survival, and the shadow of his father’s past—smuggling heroin during Vietnam and living a life that blurred the line between hustle and instability. From loan sharks showing up at their house to moving out to the country to escape it all, Aaron’s early life was anything but normal.Things took a turn when Aaron got into wrestling, but an injury changed everything. What started as pain management—his own father offering him Lortabs—quickly spiraled into addiction as his dad became both supplier and enabler. As the addiction deepened, Dilaudid entered the picture and became the true downfall, setting Aaron on a path that would consume the next two decades of his life.Living with his father as he battled cancer, the two used together for years—bonded by addiction as everything else fell apart. Aaron opens up about the darkest, most shocking parts of that time: going a year without showering, muscle popping, and even extracting his own teeth over the course of two years. As his father slowly died, addiction took priority over everything—including the haunting moment of wheeling his dying dad to pick up a prescription… only for him to pass away the very next day.After his father’s death, Aaron attempted to detox on his own, only to end up homeless and spiraling further. From breaking into a firehouse (his first felony), to violence in county jail, manipulation, and eventually serving three years in prison—this is a story of complete rock bottom. Even after release, the cycle continued: stealing from wealthy connections, blowing through stashes of drugs, and ending up homeless once again, fully trapped in the “junkie mentality.”But then—something changed.In a moment that feels almost unreal, Aaron shares how his future wife appeared in his life at his lowest point, sparking the beginning of a transformation that would ultimately lead to freedom. What follows includes a spiritual turning point, an “exorcism”-like experience, and the miracle that finally broke a 20-year IV heroin addiction.This episode is raw, intense, and unforgettable. It’s a story of pain, loss, and destruction—but also redemption, love, and the possibility of a completely different life.If you’ve ever wondered how far addiction can go—and what it really takes to come back—this is an episode you won’t want to miss.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this gripping episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Rob Schilder for a raw, unfiltered conversation that traces the full arc of addiction—from early pain to full-blown chaos.Rob opens up about his childhood, shaped heavily by his father’s battle with cancer, and how that emotional weight followed him into his teenage years. What started as experimenting with drugs and alcohol in high school quickly escalated, leading to his first arrest at just 16—and another only nine days later. The pattern didn’t stop there. Even in college, Rob found himself in trouble again, drifting further from stability as he moved off campus and deeper into a dangerous lifestyle.Everything changed when he found heroin.What follows are some of the most intense and unforgettable moments of the episode—driving through New Jersey chasing bags, nodding out at family dinners, and witnessing firsthand what the East Coast heroin scene really looked like. Rob recounts being stuck in a hurricane while using, ending up dopesick in the ER, and the surreal moment he was given Xanax “by the grace of God.” His first detox experience—without power in the aftermath of the storm—paints a brutal picture of withdrawal and desperation.The chaos only escalates. From boosting TVs out of Walmart and trading them to dealers, to acting as a middleman in the Jersey drug scene, Rob breaks down the economics and insanity of addiction. He dives into the differences between heroin and crack, how quickly things spiraled, and the moment he entered treatment—only to face a deeply traumatic and manipulative experience involving a fake letter that pushed him over the edge.Rob doesn’t hold back as he shares the darker, more personal moments: blacking out in rage inside a treatment center, exploiting relationships, stealing from his own parents—including crawling through their room in the middle of the night—and detoxing in the basement of an ex-girlfriend’s father’s house.This episode is intense, emotional, and brutally honest. It captures the insanity of addiction in a way that’s impossible to ignore, while shedding light on the human story behind it all.If you’re looking for a story that exposes the reality of addiction without filters—this is it.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this powerful episode of Get A Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with Jake Knappy to unpack a raw and unfiltered story of addiction, chaos, and ultimately redemption.Jake takes us all the way back to his childhood before diving into the moment everything began to spiral—using meth for three straight weeks in high school and quickly falling into a pattern of reckless behavior. What follows is a shocking progression through multiple DUIs, fueled by a dangerous mix of Xanax, cocaine, alcohol, and eventually fentanyl.From going to school blacked out on Xanax, to experimenting with tranquilizers, Jake opens up about how his addiction escalated beyond control. His story reaches terrifying highs as he recounts getting his license back—only to pick up another DUI just a month later while using cocaine.One of the most intense parts of this episode comes as Jake describes nodding out behind the wheel, even in the back of a police car, and the life-threatening combination of fentanyl and alcohol that nearly killed him. In a moment that can only be described as divine intervention, a retired police officer saves his life after he overdoses while driving.Jake also sheds light on a growing and often overlooked issue—his deep addiction to kratom and 7-OH, substances many believe to be “safe” or “legal.” What started as a substitute spiraled into a $700-a-week habit, $30,000 in debt, and brutal withdrawals that led him right back to drinking and more DUIs.He shares the harsh reality of using even while in jail, the endless cycle of relapse, and how four years of dependency on 7-OH nearly destroyed everything in his life.But this story doesn’t end in tragedy.Jake talks about hitting rock bottom, finding faith, and beginning his recovery journey through Suboxone. In a full-circle moment, he even shares how discovering Get A Grip Podcast played a role in helping him get sober.This episode is a brutally honest look at the reality of addiction in America today—touching on kratom, fentanyl, alcohol, and the illusion of “safe highs.” More importantly, it’s a story of survival, hope, and the possibility of change.If you or someone you know is struggling, this conversation could be the wake-up call that saves a life.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this deeply raw and emotional episode of Get a Grip Podcast, hosts Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Alysha Shbasky to share a story that is as heartbreaking as it is powerful.Alysha’s journey into addiction started early—watching her mom misuse opiates and cocaine before she ever touched weed herself. By high school, she was introduced to meth, and by 16, she was already experiencing withdrawal in jail. What followed was a chaotic and dangerous relationship where addiction, abuse, and manipulation took over her life. From being unknowingly injected while blacked out on Xanax to enduring ongoing abuse, Alysha opens up about the darkest moments she lived through as a teenager.As her addiction progressed, she and her boyfriend turned to boosting and selling to survive, leading to arrests and eventually prison at just 19 years old. Even after losing her boyfriend to a tragic death, the cycle of addiction continued—pulling her deeper into dangerous situations, including getting involved with a pharmacist and the DEA eventually stepping in to end it.Her story only intensifies from there—unstable living situations, toxic relationships, and moments of absolute desperation. Alysha shares about attempting to take her own life, only to discover she was pregnant. What should have been a turning point instead became another chapter of chaos—using while pregnant, going into labor early while under the influence, and even trying to get high in the hospital.After the birth of her child, addiction continued to take hold. She later found herself pregnant again—this time waking up to the shocking reality of delivering twins prematurely while battling a crack addiction. Despite eventually gaining custody of her children and achieving two years of sobriety, relapse struck again, leading to multiple OVIs and losing everything she had fought to rebuild.But Alysha’s story doesn’t end there.In this episode, she shares how she finally broke free from the cycle, what it took to get clean for good, and how she’s rebuilding her life today. This is a story of pain, survival, relapse, and ultimately redemption.⚠️ Viewer discretion advised: This episode contains intense discussions of addiction, abuse, and trauma.🎙️ If you or someone you love is struggling, this conversation is one you need to hear.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this powerful episode of Get a Grip Podcast, hosts Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Cameron Brewster for a raw and unfiltered conversation about a life shaped by trauma, addiction, prison, and ultimately redemption.Cameron opens up about his early childhood, growing up with his father in prison for murder and the instability that led him into the foster care system. As he got older, he found himself chasing money and escape—working long hours while diving deeper into cocaine, Xanax, and Klonopin, eventually leading to a devastating car wreck that could have ended everything.After the death of his best friend, Cameron’s life spiraled even further, pulling him into crime, addiction, and a path that would land him in a West Virginia prison facing serious time. From stealing his late father’s tools to fund his addiction, to navigating the harsh and violent realities of prison life, Cameron shares what it was really like behind those walls—including the moment he knew things were about to go bad, the call to his mom, and the violent altercation that followed.After serving time and getting out, the cycle continued as he fell back into addiction. Things escalated when his brother was involved in a fatal shooting during a robbery, bringing even more chaos and consequences into his life. Cameron eventually found himself back in prison, dealing with intense situations—including tensions that nearly sparked a riot.At his lowest point, after another release, Cameron overdosed—an experience that became the turning point in his life. In this episode, he shares how he finally found sobriety and began rebuilding from the ground up.This is a story of pain, loss, consequences, and ultimately hope. Cameron’s journey is a reminder of how far someone can fall—and how powerful it is to come back.🎙️ Don’t miss this intense and inspiring episode.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this episode of the Get A Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Josh Shaw to unpack a wild story of early crime, addiction, and building an underground empire during the height of the pill mill era.Josh’s journey starts young—getting arrested at just 9 years old, fighting in juvenile detention, and being prescribed high doses of Adderall as a kid. By high school, he was already dealing weed, getting expelled, and quickly moving into selling harder drugs. Everything escalated when he was introduced to Oxy, eventually leading him to sell and use pills taken from his own home.By just 19 years old, Josh found himself running an opiate operation through pain clinics—sponsoring people, moving large amounts of pills, and becoming deeply embedded in Florida’s pill mill scene. With connections inside pharmacies and money pouring in, he lived fast—blowing hundreds of thousands through gambling and addiction while his empire grew.But it didn’t last. Federal agencies shut everything down, and what followed was a rapid سقوط into heavier drug use, risky behavior, and life-threatening moments—including overdoses, hallucinations, and encounters with powerful psychedelics.Amid the chaos, Josh also faced devastating personal loss and his own battles with mental health, leading to a breaking point that forced change.After serving time and hitting rock bottom, Josh finally found his way into treatment and recovery—marking the beginning of a new chapter.This is a raw look inside the rise and fall of a young “pill mill kingpin,” and what it takes to come back from the edge.⚠️ Viewer discretion advised: This episode contains discussions of drug use, addiction, violence, and mental health.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this powerful and emotional episode of the Get A Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Shaye Shunkle to share a story that is as heartbreaking as it is inspiring—a journey through addiction, motherhood, chaos, and ultimately, recovery.Shaye’s story begins with a difficult childhood, born to a mother who was just 15 years old. Growing up surrounded by instability, she was exposed to alcohol and drugs early on, setting the stage for a turbulent teenage life. By high school, Shaye was already deep into substance use, experimenting with pills like Darvocet and getting caught in a cycle of trouble that led her in and out of juvenile detention.Things escalated quickly—stealing her mom’s car, getting pulled over, and diving deeper into dangerous behaviors, including abusing Triple C’s and other substances that took a serious toll on her mental and physical health. Despite the chaos, life didn’t slow down. Shaye became pregnant while battling addiction, navigating relationships, and dealing with a baby’s father who was on the run in Florida.Her story takes even darker turns as she opens up about trying meth for the first time—a moment she describes as a major turning point—and her struggles balancing addiction with motherhood in what she calls “Meth & Motherhood.” She also shares about a near-tragic suicide attempt, and the moment that stopped her from going through with it.From car accidents and opiate use to intense confrontations and violence, Shaye doesn’t hold anything back—including a moment where she stood up and fought back against racism directed at her child.But through all of it, there’s resilience.This episode is a raw look at what it means to survive when everything is stacked against you—and what it takes to finally choose a different path. Shaye closes by reflecting on her journey into recovery and what life looks like today on the other side of addiction.⚠️ Viewer discretion is advised: This episode contains discussions of addiction, mental health, violence, and suicide.If you or someone you know is struggling, this episode is a reminder that even in the darkest moments, there is still a way out.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this intense and unfiltered episode of the Get A Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Matt Wiseman to unpack a life story that is as shocking as it is deeply human.Matt’s journey begins in a chaotic childhood where innocence was stripped away early. He shares what it was like taking his first drink at just 6 years old—forced to grow up fast in an environment filled with trauma, violence, and confusion. As his family faced devastating accusations against his father, Matt recalls the moment law enforcement came to take him away—and how, as a child, he reacted in a way no kid ever should have to.From there, his life spiraled into a cycle that would define his adolescence: addiction, crime, and incarceration. By the age of 12, Matt already believed he was a full-blown addict, and from that point forward, freedom became rare. In and out of juvenile detention and prison, he opens up about spending the majority of his formative years behind bars—detailing charges ranging from robbery and kidnapping to grand theft auto, arson, and more.This episode dives deep into the mindset of someone institutionalized at a young age—what it’s like getting caught stealing a semi truck by multiple departments, surviving prison riots, and even breaking into a volunteer fire department in search of needles. Matt also shares stories from working on oil rigs, the violence he encountered both inside and outside prison walls, and the moments that continued pulling him back into the system.Perhaps the most raw moments come from his time serving a 16-year sentence, including his transfer to Lebanon Correctional Institution, where the first six months tested him mentally and physically. He speaks openly about making moonshine behind bars, and what it really looks like to join the Aryan Brotherhood—including the brutal initiation process.But through all the chaos, there’s a question that lingers—what’s different this time?Now, after spending the majority of his life locked up and only a few years of true freedom since childhood, Matt reflects on the patterns, the pain, and the possibility of change.This is not just a story about crime and addiction—it’s about trauma, survival, identity, and whether someone can truly break free from a life that seemed destined from the start.⚠️ Viewer discretion is advised: This episode contains graphic discussions of violence, addiction, and prison life.If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, this conversation is a powerful reminder that no matter how far gone things may seem, change is still possible.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this powerful and raw episode of Get A Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Vinny Ramirez to uncover a life story that spirals from chaos and survival into addiction, crime, and ultimately redemption.Vinny takes us back to his childhood growing up in East Chicago, where instability was the norm. With nine people packed into one house and violence never far away, he looked up to his older brother while navigating a world that hardened him early. One night, that reality came crashing in when three trucks pulled up to attack their home—setting the tone for the life he would soon be pulled into.By his teenage years, Vinny was already deep in the streets—getting paid to drive cars loaded with drugs and quickly learning the game. What started small escalated fast. In what feels almost unreal, he went from a high school student to a full-blown heroin dealer overnight—breaking down rocks in science class and moving serious weight before most kids graduate. At one point, he was selling quarter bricks and even found himself entangled in situations involving stolen evidence tied to a murder.But the fast money came with devastating consequences.Vinny opens up about losing his daughter, his addiction spiraling out of control, and the dangerous lifestyle that followed—getting raided, crashing into a guardrail while fleeing police, and using increasingly deadly heroin like “cop killer.” He shares the moment he first injected heroin and how his life became consumed, with rigs everywhere and no escape in sight.Eventually, it all caught up to him. After getting high and arrested, Vinny confessed to everything—leading to prison time filled with violence, fights, and hard lessons. But even after release, the cycle continued. Relationships, addiction, and loss collided again, including a haunting moment where his child’s mother overdosed and was brought back to life.At his lowest point, Vinny overdosed four times in a single day.But this isn’t just a story about addiction—it’s about survival and transformation.Vinny shares how finding faith and rebuilding his life gave him a way out. Today, he reflects on meeting his wife, blending their families into a household of six kids, and what it truly means to come back from the edge.This episode is intense, unfiltered, and unforgettable—a firsthand account of what it looks like to fall into the depths of heroin addiction and somehow find a way back.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

Louis takes the conversation beyond the studio and into the streets, sitting down face-to-face with people experiencing homelessness to hear the stories most of us never get to hear. In this raw and unfiltered episode, he speaks with men who are living day-to-day survival, many of them battling serious addiction while navigating life without stability, safety, or support.What quickly becomes clear is that homelessness is far more complex than most people assume. Behind every person is a story—of trauma, loss, mental health struggles, and, for many, substance use that started as a way to cope and slowly took control. These conversations shed light on the harsh reality that a large percentage of those living on the streets are caught in cycles of addiction, often with little access to the help they need.Through honest dialogue, Louis breaks down the stereotypes and humanizes a population that is often overlooked or misunderstood. These aren’t just “homeless people”—they are individuals with families, histories, regrets, and hopes. Many express a deep desire for connection, for someone to listen without judgment, and for a way out that feels possible.This episode is eye-opening, emotional, and, at times, difficult to watch—but it’s also a powerful reminder that empathy and understanding are essential. Real change doesn’t start with assumptions; it starts with conversations like these.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this deeply emotional and eye-opening episode, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Marrissa Hibbler to share a story that begins in what many would consider a “normal” upbringing—but quickly unravels into a journey marked by trauma, loss, addiction, and ultimately, resilience.Marrissa takes us back to her early years, opening up about her childhood and the complicated relationship she had with her father. While things may have looked typical from the outside, inside the home there were struggles that shaped her sense of self early on. As chaos crept into her family life, her mother stepped in to hold things together, but the emotional weight was already building. Marrissa reflects on pivotal moments growing up—like shaving her head and navigating the pressures of high school—offering insight into the internal battles she faced long before substances entered the picture.At just 16, Marrissa entered a relationship that would change the trajectory of her life. By 17, she was pregnant, stepping into adulthood far too soon. What followed was a series of devastating challenges: her one-year-old suffering a seizure, entering into an abusive relationship, and experiencing the heartbreak of a close friend’s overdose. What started with crack and cocaine escalated as Marrissa tried to cope with overwhelming grief and trauma—including the loss of a baby and a deeply traumatic incident at a friend’s house. Even as she attempted to regain control—becoming pregnant again and trying to get clean—life continued to hit hard. She shares the pain of experiencing physical abuse, finding the strength to leave, and facing one of the most difficult moments a parent can endure: her son being diagnosed with congenital heart disease.As her son underwent multiple surgeries, Marrissa found herself slipping deeper into addiction, eventually turning to heroin while trying to survive emotionally and physically. A Xanax blackout became a turning point, leading to an intervention from her mother and her first attempt at detox. But even then, addiction held tight—smuggling drugs into treatment and getting caught, followed by a year-long fentanyl relapse that cost her custody of her children and forced her into survival mode.This is where the story shifts.Today, Marrissa is living proof that even after the darkest chapters, change is possible. She shares where she is now, what sobriety looks like for her, and the lessons she’s learned along the way.This episode is raw, powerful, and filled with moments that will stay with you. It’s a story about how quickly life can change—but also how strong the human spirit can be when given a second chance.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this powerful and unfiltered episode, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Al Savage to unpack a life story that most people couldn’t imagine surviving—let alone coming back from.Al doesn’t hold anything back. From the streets to the system, he walks us through the chaos of a life consumed by addiction, crime, and survival at all costs. What started as substance use quickly spiraled into a relentless cycle of desperation, poor decisions, and consequences that would change his life forever. At his lowest point—strung out and disconnected from reality—Al made a decision that would define his story for years to come: shooting his own parole officer.This episode dives deep into the mindset behind that moment. What does it take for someone to reach that level of darkness? What is going through your mind when addiction completely overrides logic, morality, and fear? Al gives a rare, firsthand account of just how powerful and destructive drugs can be when they take control.But this isn’t just a story about crime—it’s about consequences, accountability, and what comes after. Al shares what life was like behind prison walls, the mental and emotional toll it took, and the long road he had to face once the chaos finally stopped. From navigating prison culture to confronting the weight of his actions, this conversation explores the reality that many never see.More importantly, this episode is about perspective and transformation. Al reflects on who he was, the pain he caused, and the process of trying to rebuild a life after everything has fallen apart. It’s raw, it’s intense, and it’s real.This is a story about how far addiction can take you—and what it takes to come back.If you’re looking for a conversation that pulls no punches and shows the true cost of living on the edge, this is one you don’t want to miss.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

in this powerful and unfiltered episode of Get A Grip Podcast, the team steps out of the studio and into the streets to uncover the raw, often unseen reality of addiction and homelessness. What unfolds is an eye-opening look at the lives of people many pass by every day—stories that are rarely heard, and even more rarely understood.Through honest, on-the-ground conversations, the team connects with individuals battling addiction in real time. These aren’t rehearsed interviews or polished narratives—this is real life, captured as it is. Pain, survival, resilience, and truth all collide as each person shares a glimpse into what led them here and what keeps them going.One of the most striking moments comes from an interaction with Bruce. His condition tells a story before he even speaks. The visible damage to his skin reflects the harsh reality of substances like xylazine, a powerful veterinary sedative increasingly found mixed into fentanyl. Its effects are devastating, often causing severe wounds and rapid physical deterioration. Seeing it up close puts into perspective just how dangerous and far-reaching this crisis has become.This episode doesn’t just show addiction—it humanizes it. It challenges assumptions, forces uncomfortable truths to the surface, and sheds light on a crisis happening in plain sight. These are people with names, histories, and voices that deserve to be heard.Viewer discretion is advised. This is a raw and emotional look at addiction, but it’s a conversation that needs to happen.Timestamps🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this episode, Chelsea Boggs shares her raw and unfiltered story of addiction, survival, and the long road to recovery.Chelsea opens up about her childhood and how a major family shift shaped her early life. What started as partying on the weekends quickly escalated after experimenting with drugs in her teenage years, leading to the use of Percocets and eventually daily dependence. As her environment changed, so did the severity of her addiction—introducing harder substances and more dangerous situations.She talks about being in a toxic and abusive relationship, experiencing homelessness after a police raid, and becoming deeply involved in the drug scene. Chelsea recounts selling to a confidential informant, her first experience using f3ntanyl, and how quickly it took hold of her life.From waking up in withdrawal, wrecking cars while nodding off, and risking everything just to avoid being sick, to facing legal consequences—including drug test tampering charges and court-ordered supervision—her story highlights the brutal reality of addiction.This episode also touches on some of the darkest and most chaotic moments, including working while under the influence, repeated close calls with law enforcement, and the physical and mental toll of fentanyl dependence.But through it all, Chelsea’s story doesn’t end there. She shares how she finally began her journey into recovery and what it took to start turning her life around.This is a powerful, eye-opening conversation about addiction, consequences, and hope.If you or someone you know is struggling, this episode may resonate more than you expect.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this powerful and deeply moving episode, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Nicole Stull to share a story of survival, pain, and ultimately redemption.Nicole opens up about a childhood marked by unimaginable trauma. Growing up in a home where she was abused by her older brothers in ways no child should ever experience, Nicole spent years carrying the weight of that pain in silence. The emotional scars followed her into adulthood, shaping how she saw herself and the world around her.Like many who endure deep trauma, Nicole eventually turned to alcohol as a way to numb the memories and escape the overwhelming emotions that haunted her. What started as a way to cope quickly spiraled into a life consumed by alcoholism. For years she battled the bottle, trying to outrun the past while the consequences of her drinking continued to pile up.But Nicole’s story doesn’t end there.Through the darkness, she eventually reached a breaking point where the cost of continuing down that path became too great. Facing the consequences of her addiction forced Nicole to confront the pain she had spent years trying to bury. With courage and determination, she began the difficult journey toward healing and sobriety.Today, Nicole is living proof that even the deepest wounds can heal. She is sober, safe, and building a life filled with peace, strength, and purpose. Her story is one of resilience and hope—showing that no matter how painful the past may be, a new life is always possible.This episode is raw, honest, and inspiring for anyone who has faced trauma, addiction, or feels trapped by their past. Nicole’s courage to speak out reminds us that healing begins when the truth is finally brought into the light.Tune in to hear Nicole’s incredible journey from survival to freedom.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this episode, Emma and Rihanna from The Ohio State University sit down with Louis Essig to hear the powerful story of how a young man from an upper-class community ended up living on the streets in the grip of addiction—and how he fought his way back.Louis grew up in what most would consider a normal, stable environment, but everything began to change after his first drink at 16. What started as typical teenage experimentation quickly spiraled into a decade of substance abuse. From alcohol to whatever drugs he could get his hands on, Louis spent the next ten years trapped in addiction. As his life unraveled, he cycled through jail stays, homelessness, and the constant chaos that comes with life on the streets.Eventually, the justice system intervened and Louis was placed in a drug court program. Even then, the battle wasn’t over—after one more relapse, something finally clicked. At 26 years old, in 2016, Louis made the decision that would change everything and committed to sobriety.Since then, Louis has rebuilt his life in remarkable ways. In a full-circle moment, he returned to the very correctional facility where he had once been incarcerated—this time as an employee. He would go on to become the first former inmate ever to rise into a leadership position there, breaking barriers and proving that real transformation is possible.Today, Louis travels across Ohio speaking in schools, jails, and recovery communities, sharing his story to inspire others who may feel trapped by addiction. His message is simple but powerful: no matter how far someone falls, redemption and purpose are still possible.This episode is an honest conversation about addiction, consequences, redemption, and what it truly takes to turn a life around.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this powerful episode, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Dr. Nicole Labor to hear a story that challenges everything people think they know about addiction, recovery, and redemption.Nicole grew up in a strict household where drugs were something to fear and avoid. But like many stories of addiction, the path didn’t begin where anyone expected. What started with heavy drinking as a teenager eventually led her into the counterculture world of the Grateful Dead scene, where she became a devoted “Dead Head” and began experimenting more deeply with substances.Despite her growing substance use, Nicole pursued an ambitious path into medicine. While studying and preparing for a career as a physician, her drug use escalated—eventually leading to an addiction to powerful opiates. In a shocking turn, Nicole entered medical school already struggling with addiction. What began with prescription pills quickly progressed to Oxy 160s and ultimately to heroin. At one point, she was traveling to New Jersey to cop heroin while simultaneously trying to maintain the life of a future doctor.In one of the most gripping parts of the conversation, Nicole opens up about injecting heroin while attending medical school and somehow still managing to graduate. She candidly describes the moment she admitted to her school that she was addicted, the painful cycle of detox and relapse, and the crushing weight of living a double life as a doctor battling heroin addiction.But Nicole’s story doesn’t end there.After hitting bottom, she eventually found recovery—and today she has 17 years of documented sobriety. Now a physician specializing in addiction medicine, she dedicates her life to helping others escape the same disease that nearly destroyed her.Nicole also shares how her journey brought her to Akron, Ohio—the birthplace of Alcoholics Anonymous—and how personal tragedy, including the loss of her husband after his struggles with addiction and incarceration, further shaped her mission.In this deeply honest conversation, Dr. Labor explains why addiction is truly a disease, how it works in the brain, and why people struggling with it deserve treatment, compassion, and understanding rather than shame.This is the story of a woman who shot heroin in medical school and still became a doctor—and who now uses that experience to save lives.A raw, eye-opening conversation about addiction, resilience, and the possibility of recovery no matter how far someone has fallen.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience. Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

Born into chaos and addiction, McKayla Jodon’s story is one of survival, relapse, and ultimately redemption. In this powerful episode, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with McKayla as she opens up about growing up with a mother who had her at just 14 years old and how instability shaped her early life. What began as a seemingly normal childhood quickly spiraled as McKayla was introduced to drugs at a young age, eventually using heroin while still in high school—sometimes needing to get high just to make it through the school day.McKayla shares raw and shocking moments from her past: using drugs alongside her own mother and community, going through withdrawal in high school, overdosing more than 30 times—including three times in a single day—and the dangerous cycle of addiction that followed her into adulthood. From adolescent treatment centers and Suboxone dependence to alcoholism, homelessness, and jail after a relapse, McKayla’s life became a relentless battle with substance abuse.But this story doesn’t end in darkness. After hitting devastating lows, losing loved ones, and experiencing moments she believes were nothing short of divine intervention, McKayla began rebuilding her life. Now two years sober, she reflects on the turning points that changed everything, the role faith played in her recovery, and how she’s learning to live a new life free from addiction.This is a brutally honest conversation about generational addiction, survival, relapse, and the power of finding hope when everything seems lost.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope. 🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

Shakura Slaughter joins hosts Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes for one of the rawest, most powerful conversations ever featured on the show. Raised in deep poverty and surrounded by violence from the beginning, Shakura opens up about how her childhood environment shaped her worldview long before she ever had a chance to shape it herself. From the earliest moments of her life, she was already fighting battles most adults never have to face.In this episode, Shakura speaks candidly about surviving sexual assault by a family member while every adult around her looked the other way, the family dysfunction that spiraled around her, and the pain of watching her sister go through her own trauma. She shares what it was like having a father in and out of jail and the moment she called the police on her uncle at just eleven years old—an act of courage that would permanently alter her sense of safety, responsibility, and independence.Shakura also dives into the realities of becoming a mother at an incredibly young age—pregnant at 13, giving birth to her first son at 14, and her second by 16. She explains how these life-changing events forced her to grow up fast, make impossible decisions, and navigate a world that provided little support and even less compassion. Her story is not just about survival but about the internal battles that come with breaking generational cycles.Finally, Shakura opens up about finding recovery, rebuilding her life, and learning to navigate a healing journey that’s messy, imperfect, and ongoing. She shares the practical tools, mindset shifts, and hard lessons that helped her rise from trauma to purpose. Her message to the audience is powerful, honest, and deeply human—reminding everyone listening that no matter where you start, you can rewrite your story.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this powerful episode, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Aysha Clever for a raw and deeply moving conversation about trauma, addiction, loss, and redemption.Aysha opens up about a childhood shaped by domestic violence and instability — a home where fear was normal and survival came before everything else. Growing up in chaos left scars that followed her into adolescence, and like so many who carry unresolved pain, she found herself turning to drugs at a young age. What began as an escape quickly became a battle for her life.As addiction tightened its grip, Aysha watched the unthinkable happen over and over again. Friends she grew up with. People she used with. People she loved. One by one, she saw them fall to the disease of addiction. Funerals became familiar. Grief became routine. And survivor’s guilt became heavy.But Aysha’s story doesn’t end in tragedy.Today, she stands on the other side of the darkness — not just sober, but transformed. Instead of being another statistic, she made the decision to fight back. Now, Aysha dedicates her life to helping others who are trapped in the same cycle she once lived in. She speaks hope into the hopeless, strength into the broken, and reminds people that their past does not have to define their future.This episode is about more than addiction — it’s about generational trauma, resilience, and what it truly means to heal. Aysha’s honesty is powerful, her courage undeniable, and her mission inspiring.If you or someone you love is struggling, this conversation is proof that recovery is possible — and that even after witnessing so much loss, you can still choose to become a light for others.Don’t miss this unforgettable episode.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this powerful episode, Louis and Aaron sit down with Dominic G., a man whose story is soaked in generational addiction, loss, and ultimately redemption. Alcoholism ran deep in Dominic’s bloodline, taking loved ones and shaping the chaos of his childhood long before he ever picked up a substance himself.Dominic reflects on surviving a devastating car wreck with his father — a moment that could have changed everything, but instead became another chapter in a turbulent upbringing. He shares the unimaginable reality of his own mother offering heroin to him and his sister, normalizing addiction inside the very walls meant to protect him.What follows is a spiral into crime and consequences. Dominic talks about his first time in jail after stealing three AR-15s, a decision fueled by addiction and desperation. But nothing compares to the day he found his father dead — gone for nearly a week — a traumatic discovery that sent him even deeper into darkness.Homeless in Dayton, Dominic describes sleeping wherever he could, chasing the next high just to avoid the crushing weight of reality. Bad dope eventually landed him in a mental hospital, where paranoia and psychosis blurred the line between survival and surrender. He recounts waking up after an overdose — another brush with death that still wasn’t enough to stop him. At his worst, he was using a gram of fentanyl just to wake up and function.But this episode isn’t just about rock bottom.Dominic shares a turning point: receiving a care package from a complete stranger — a small act of kindness that pierced through years of hopelessness. We hear about the long road into treatment, the fight for recovery, and what it takes to break generational curses that feel almost written into your DNA.This is a raw, unfiltered conversation about family trauma, fentanyl addiction, homelessness, and the moment someone decides the🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this powerful episode, Louis Essig sits down with Jason Christopher for a raw, unfiltered conversation about music, addiction, fame, relapse, and redemption.Jason’s story begins with a childhood shaped by chaos and curiosity. By 12–13 years old, he was experimenting with LSD, and after a food fight spiraled into a psych ward stay, the trajectory of his life was already shifting. But at 14, he picked up a guitar for the first time and taught himself how to play — igniting a passion that would define his future. Music became both his salvation and his gateway into darker territory.As he joined bigger bands and tasted early success, alcoholism took hold. What started with drinking soon escalated into heroin, cocaine, and eventually speedballs. Jason takes us deep into the 80s drug scene — real cocaine, discovering tar heroin in LA, and the first terrifying experience of shooting dope while trying to “figure it out” on his own. He shares what it was like traveling west with a heroin habit, kicking dope on a Greyhound bus, robbing his own town for petty cash, and getting caught.From detoxing in a pregnancy ward to landing in a special jail program, Jason found sobriety — and stayed clean for three years. But when he returned to LA and the music scene, sobriety didn’t last. Weed turned into pills, and before long he was back to shooting heroin and cocaine together.Jason opens up about partying with celebrities — including the Jackass crew — turning down opportunities with legends like Sebastian Bach, making $2,000 a week as a doorman while spending $1,000 a day on drugs, and even attempting to shoot up on a plane back to New York after 9/11. He shares what was left of his life at the height of his addiction.Yet through it all, Jason built a legitimate music career, toured the world, played in major bands, and became a father — all while battling relapse, ego, and eventually humility. From world-famous stages to working in a supermarket, he reflects on the reality of sobriety, sex addiction, dealing weed, and what recovery actually looks like beyond the clichés.This is a brutally honest conversation about the illusion of rockstar glamour, the cost of addiction, and the hard-earned truth that there aren’t shortcuts in recovery. Jason speaks candidly about humility, fatherhood, and how many “steps” it really takes to stay sober.If you’ve ever struggled, relapsed, chased fame, or tried to outrun yourself — this episode is one you won’t forget.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this raw and unfiltered episode, Aaron and Louis sit down with Bob Frazier — a man who says rage fueled nearly every decision he made for decades. Growing up in Philadelphia, Bob witnessed brutal domestic violence at home and endured relentless beatings from his father. By 8 minutes into this conversation, he recounts the moment he finally “boxed” his dad in the living room — a turning point that hardened him and set the tone for a life driven by anger.By 16, Bob was already cooking cocaine. He breaks down the difference between crack and freebase and paints a vivid picture of what “Philly Crack in the 80’s” really looked like — the chaos, the money, and the destruction. After getting kicked out of the military, crack became both his escape and his identity. His first felony charge quickly snowballed into prison time in 1986, where he explains prison politics, why you make your bed tight, and how survival behind bars works.What follows is a whirlwind: inheriting his grandmother’s house and losing it… becoming homeless in his 20s… betrayal, heartbreak, hustling, stealing, and feeding an addiction that consumed two full decades of his life. From working with racehorses and making $2,700 a week to taking seven hits of acid in one night, Bob’s story swings between success and complete self-destruction. Drug tests, county jail, and eventually landing in the “bottoms” of Columbus led to three years of homelessness and seven more felonies.He shares how he slipped into malls through the side door of Lazarus from a homeless shelter to rob stores… waking up early to hustle… living in what he calls his “reckless abandonment era.”But at 1:40:00, something shifts.In 1999, Bob made the decision that saved his life — entering treatment after nearly 20 years lost to crack addiction. He opens up about what it was like reconnecting with family after two decades, the pain of imagining the roles reversed, and what real recovery actually looked like for him. The episode closes with reflection, humility, and the hard-earned wisdom behind the phrase: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”This is a story about rage, addiction, prison, homelessness, redemption — and the cost of losing twenty years to crack in the 80s and 90s.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this raw and unfiltered episode, Louis Essig sits down with Laray Hamilton to unpack a life that spiraled into chaos long before she ever touched m3th.Laray opens up about growing up without knowing her father and being raised by an alcoholic mother whose instability shaped her earliest memories. At just 10 years old, she witnessed her mom put a gun in her own mouth. By 13, feeling like she never fit in anywhere, Laray ran away and hit the streets — a decision that would change the trajectory of her life forever.What followed is almost unbelievable.From getting drunk for the first time as a child, to being kidnapped at 13 and forced into a home invasion, Laray describes the moment survival became her only mindset. She talks about being trained to sell m3th, falling in love with the drug after trying it once, and “Shooting M3th at 16” — a habit that would take over everything. She shares what it was like cooking Shake-n-Bake in an apartment, using with her boss at 16, and stealing $16,000 worth of product, which led to guns, paranoia, and inevitable consequences.But that’s only the beginning.Laray details setting people up, violent confrontations, and the moment she said “forget it” and crossed lines she never imagined she would. She speaks candidly about prison — how she fell in love behind bars, how incarceration hardened her, and how the m3th trade followed her even inside. From getting an ounce and making the trap house “boom,” to nearly killing someone during an initiation, to being present in situations involving murder and helping clean up the aftermath — this episode dives into the darkest corners of addiction-fueled survival.She recounts walking into a trap house where someone had been killed, the paranoia of wired informants, violent retaliation attempts, and how law enforcement eventually uncovered the truth. From selling tobacco for $1,000 in prison to shooting m3th behind bars, Laray explains how deep the cycle truly went.This is a story about trauma, survival, addiction, violence, prison, and the cost of never feeling like you belonged. Viewer discretion strongly advised.If you or someone you love is battling addiction, stories like this are reminders of how fast life can spiral — and how important it is to seek help.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this raw and deeply personal episode, Louis and Aaron sit down with Tyler Boggs, a man who openly describes himself as a chronic relapser—and isn’t afraid to explain what that really means. Tyler’s battle with addiction began at a young age, when experimenting with drugs quickly escalated into something far more powerful and destructive. What started as escape and curiosity eventually turned into a full-blown heroin addiction that would control nearly every aspect of his life.Tyler takes us inside the mindset of someone who truly wants sobriety—but keeps finding himself back in the cycle. He talks about the early days of using, the grip heroin had on him, the lies addiction convinces you to believe, and the emotional rollercoaster of getting clean only to relapse again. This conversation dives into the shame, guilt, and frustration that come with repeated attempts at recovery—and the brutal honesty required to keep trying anyway.Louis and Aaron guide Tyler through the pivotal moments that shaped his journey: the turning points, the close calls, the broken trust, and the hard lessons learned along the way. Rather than glamorizing the chaos, Tyler sheds light on the exhausting reality of addiction—how it rewires your thinking, isolates you from the people you love, and makes promises it never keeps.But this episode isn’t just about relapse—it’s about resilience. It’s about what keeps someone getting back up after falling over and over again. Tyler’s willingness to speak openly about his struggles offers hope to anyone who feels stuck in the cycle and believes they’re the only one who can’t seem to “get it right.”If you or someone you love has battled addiction, this conversation will hit home. It’s honest, uncomfortable at times, and ultimately human. Recovery isn’t always a straight line—and Tyler’s story is proof that the fight is still worth fighting.⚠️ Viewer discretion advised: This episode contains discussions of drug use and addiction.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this powerful and unfiltered episode, Louis and Aaron sit down with Amanda Moore, a woman who has truly been to hell and back. Amanda’s story begins with early exposure to drugs, a path that slowly pulled her away from safety and into a world of addiction, trauma, and survival on the streets. What followed was a nightmare few can imagine—Amanda was human trafficked, held captive, and at one point locked inside a dog cage, stripped of her freedom and dignity, with drugs becoming her only means of escape from the unbearable reality she was living.Through raw honesty, Amanda shares what it was like to endure captivity, violence, and dehumanization, and how addiction kept her trapped in cycles she couldn’t see a way out of. This episode doesn’t shy away from the darkness—but it also shines a light on resilience, courage, and the will to survive. Against all odds, Amanda found her way out, chose sobriety, and rebuilt her life from the ground up.Today, Amanda is sober and dedicated to helping others who are still trapped in addiction, trafficking, and hopelessness. Her story is a testament to the power of recovery, the importance of speaking out, and the fact that no one is ever too far gone to be saved. This is a conversation about pain, redemption, and the strength it takes to turn survival into purpose.⚠️ Viewer discretion advised: This episode contains discussions of addiction, human trafficking, and severe trauma.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this episode of the Get a Grip Podcast, Louis & Aaron sit down with Kathryn Grills whose life was shaped by generational addiction from childhood. From using drugs with her parents, losing her sister to an overdose, surviving multiple ODs herself, and ultimately finding recovery — this is a raw, unfiltered story of survival, trauma, and hope.This conversation dives deep into the realities of growing up in an addicted household, the normalization of drug use at a young age, and what it took to finally break the cycle.⚠️ Trigger Warning: This episode discusses drug use, overdose, trauma, and loss.If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, you’re not alone. Recovery is possible.📌 Subscribe to the Get a Grip Podcast for real stories of addiction, recovery, and redemption.📩 Share this episode — it might save a life.⏱ TIMESTAMPS0:00 – Title of First Chapter00:01:40 – Childhood and early family environment00:03:00 – Using drugs with her mom at a young age00:14:00 – Lying about her age and entering an unhealthy relationship00:16:30 – Regular drug use at 16–1700:18:00 – Using drugs with her mom00:20:00 – Both sisters dating older men while in high school00:21:45 – Discovering her sister was using at 1500:23:00 – Turning 18 and beginning regular h3roin use00:24:15 – “H3roin with the family” — addiction normalized at home00:28:00 – Getting out of rehab and staying with her grandmother00:32:00 – Self-detoxing and treatment attempts00:34:00 – Faking seizures during active addiction00:39:00 – Discovering her dad was also using00:40:00 – Turning her sister into the police00:43:00 – Pulling others into addiction00:46:15 – Her sister overdoses and dies at 1700:55:00 – The reality of being pregnant while addicted00:56:30 – Her dad becoming her dealer00:58:00 – Water breaking, hospital stay, and using drugs in the hospital01:05:00 – Baby’s father overdoses with their daughter on his chest01:15:50 – Her first overdose — 6-day coma and near death01:17:00 – What happened during the coma and how she survived01:28:00 – Homelessness, living out of her car, and stealing to survive01:30:00 – Entering recovery and getting sober01:44:00 – Detox hopping and continued use01:48:00 – Overdosing in a hospital bathroom🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

Sy Saqfelhait’s story is one of loss, survival, and ultimately redemption. Born with deep roots in Palestine, Sy spent years caught in the grip of Xanax addiction—so long that he describes it as losing nearly a decade of his life to a fog of missing memories. Entire chapters of his past are gone, erased by dependency and relapse, leaving him to piece together who he was and how far he’d fallen.Time and time again, Sy would flee back to Palestine in an attempt to get sober, hoping distance, culture, and family could save him. For a while, it worked. But each return to America pulled him back into the same patterns, the same triggers, and the same relapse that kept him stuck in a cycle he couldn’t seem to break. The tug-of-war between two worlds mirrored the war inside himself—wanting freedom while being chained to addiction.Everything changed when sobriety finally stuck. This time, Sy didn’t just quit using—he rebuilt his entire life from the ground up. Today, he stands as a sober, driven entrepreneur, owning and operating his own successful roofing company. What was once a life ruled by pills and lost time is now defined by discipline, purpose, and accountability.In this powerful episode, Sy opens up about blacked-out years, the pain of repeated relapse, the struggle of identity between two countries, and what it truly took to break free for good. His story is a raw reminder that no matter how much time addiction steals, recovery can still give you a future worth fighting for.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this unforgettable episode, Chad McClintock tells the raw and unfiltered story of living two completely opposite lives at the same time—serving as a firefighter and first responder while secretly trapped in a severe meth addiction. Chad’s journey begins in an abusive childhood filled with violence and instability, experiences that shaped his anger, survival instincts, and early decisions. As a teenager, that chaos followed him into the streets, where he began selling cocaine, eventually escalating to selling and using meth as addiction fully took hold.Despite having a family and a child who depended on him, Chad found himself unable to outrun meth. He opens up about the terrifying reality of “firefighting on meth,” responding to emergencies while high and risking not only his own life, but the lives of his crew and the public. One of the most haunting moments of his story is being the first responder to his own uncle’s death, a trauma that pushed his substance use even further out of control.As addiction deepened, Chad describes getting pulled over while eating six grams of meth, smoking crack, moving in with his dope dealer, and spiraling into increasingly reckless behavior. From smoking crack in a Walmart parking lot after his partner left, to losing everything and ending up connected to a homeless shelter, Chad paints a brutal picture of how fast addiction can dismantle a life—even one that looks respectable from the outside.Eventually, the consequences caught up. Facing 11 years over his head and later learning he was officially going to prison, Chad shares the fear, surrender, and realization that his life was either going to end behind bars or not at all. In a powerful reflection, he explains how prison—something he once feared more than anything—became the environment that finally forced him to confront himself and change.This episode is a brutally honest look at addiction, trauma, accountability, and redemption. Chad’s story is proof that addiction does not discriminate, and that even those tasked with saving lives can be silently drowning. If you want to understand the real cost of addiction—and the possibility of transformation when everything is on the line—this is an episode you don’t want to miss.⏱ TIMESTAMPS0:00 – Title of First Chapter00:01:00 Abusive childhood00:03:15 Beating up his stepdad00:07:00 Starting to sell c0caine00:09:15 Selling m3th & Firefighting on m3th00:12:00 First responding to his uncle’s death00:14:45 Getting pulled over while eating 6g of m3th00:16:15 Smoking cr4ck00:22:00 Moving in with the dope dealer00:25:00 Smoking cr4ck in a Walmart parking lot after theft00:29:00 Going to CBCF with 11 years over his head00:33:00 Taking a car and ending up at a homeless shelter00:36:30 Finding out he’s going to prison for 11 years00:39:00 How prison worked for him & final reflections🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

Drake Phillips grew up surrounded by wealth in Beverly Hills, but behind the gates and privilege was an emotionally absent father and a deep sense of rebellion that would shape the course of his life. In this episode, Louis sits down with Drake to unpack how a childhood that looked perfect from the outside led him down a dark and dangerous path. Drawn to the streets at a young age, Drake was initiated into a gang, introduced to drugs early on, and quickly found himself living a double life that spiraled out of control. As charges began stacking up, he fled to Mexico, believing he could outrun his past. Instead, he became a chameleon—blending in, moving fast, and fueling his survival with heavy cocaine use while navigating an unforgiving underworld. But running only works for so long. After stepping on the wrong toes, Drake was brutally beaten and thrown into a Mexican prison, where survival became a daily battle. Extradited back to the United States, his chaos followed him to Columbus, Ohio, where one night would nearly end his life when unknown men abducted him and attempted to saw off his leg. This raw, unfiltered conversation explores trauma, identity, addiction, violence, and the cost of chasing escape instead of healing—making Drake’s story a powerful reminder that pain doesn’t care how you were raised, and survival often comes at a terrifying price.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this raw, emotional, and brutally honest episode, Aaron and Louis sit down with Landon Muncy to tell the full story of a life shaped by addiction almost from the very beginning. Landon shares how he was exposed to drugs at a young age and first used heroin at just 10 years old, setting him on a dangerous path that would follow him into adulthood. He reflects on his childhood, moving to Florida with his mom, and how normal chaos and instability quickly turned into smoking crack by 15 and shooting up for the first time at 17—long before he ever graduated high school.Landon breaks down the fast-money mindset that came with addiction, including hitting Walmart licks, stealing everything a dealer owned, and being surrounded by people printing fake money just to survive and get high. The conversation doesn’t shy away from the darker moments: gun violence, a traumatic shooting, contracting Hep C, and catching a domestic violence charge that pushed his life even further off the rails. One of the most heartbreaking moments comes when Landon opens up about his father taking his own life, and later discovering that his best friend died in jail while Landon himself was serving time in Level 2 prison.The episode ultimately turns toward accountability and redemption as Landon explains how prison became the turning point that led him to sobriety. He talks candidly about getting sober after incarceration, navigating recovery, and unlearning a lifetime of using drugs with his parents. “Where smoking crack and shooting heroin before I graduated high school led me to…” is a powerful story of consequences, loss, survival, and the fight to build a better life against overwhelming odds.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this raw and eye-opening episode, Louis and Aaron sit down with Catherine Pacedoves to unpack a life shaped by chaos, fast money, and survival inside the stripping world. Catherine shares how her childhood spiraled early, including her first experience with alcohol at just four years old and later being sent to an anorexia camp, setting the stage for years of instability. She walks through the moment she went from waitressing to stripping in a single night, the allure of easy money, her biggest nights on the pole, and what it was like dancing in Las Vegas at the height of excess. The conversation dives into heavy cocaine use during the stock market crash, a seizure at Scores, and surreal encounters that led to meeting and living in Suge Knight’s house, even introducing Michael Phelps to him. Catherine opens up about escaping Vegas, freebasing cocaine, blackouts, being targeted in clubs, and the final moments that pushed her to stop using. She also speaks candidly about being a sober stripper, the trauma of being trafficked by Suge Knight, and a manic episode that landed her at Jackson Pike. This episode is a brutal but powerful look at addiction, exploitation, and the fight to reclaim your life.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

Crystal Turner’s story is a raw, unfiltered descent into addiction, crime, and ultimately redemption. Born into instability, raised in a trailer park by a mother who was barely a teenager herself, Crystal grew up with an absent father lost to drug use and a childhood marked by survival rather than safety. What began as experimentation spiraled quickly—first heroin and Xanax, then deeper into meth—while she tried to maintain a “normal” life, even working in Human Resources as addiction quietly took control. Her relationships mirrored the chaos, including becoming involved with a man decades older and later crossing paths with one of the most powerful drug dealers in her world. During the isolation of COVID, Crystal’s addiction intensified as she became entangled in a large-scale operation that eventually drew the attention of federal authorities. When the walls closed in, ATF, FBI, and DEA agents stormed her home, leading to indictments that carried the terrifying weight of decades behind bars. From jail in Ironton, Kentucky, Crystal entered rehab, confronting not only her own addiction but the painful reality of smoking with her father as cancer and opiate dependence took his life. Facing charges that once threatened 40 years to life, Crystal now reflects on how the kingpin fell, how everything unraveled, and how sobriety rebuilt what addiction tried to destroy. Today, she shares what life looks like on the other side—clean, accountable, and grounded in gratitude—proof that even the darkest paths can lead to real recovery.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcast👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this powerful and unfiltered episode, Louis sits down with Angela Vroman to share the harrowing truth of her life—one marked by deep childhood trauma, crack addiction, kidnapping, and human trafficking. Angela opens up about her early years and how her father became the foundation of lasting trauma, leading to inappropriate physical relationships at a young age and a path of vulnerability. While homeless, her life took a terrifying turn when she was kidnapped, tortured, and ultimately sold for an eight ball of crack to a pimp, pulling her deeper into a world of exploitation. She recounts being introduced to crack, meeting other trafficked women, and descending into extreme addiction—smoking up to $1,500 worth of crack a day, staying awake for weeks without food, and surviving violent, chaotic encounters, including being pulled over at 4 a.m. in a bikini with drugs and waking up days later with no memory of what happened. Angela shares how she became an escort at 17, went to prison at 19, endured repeated abuse at knifepoint, and even drew the attention of the FBI while incarcerated. Despite relapses and episodes of drug-induced psychosis, Angela’s story is ultimately one of survival, recovery, and accountability through drug court. She closes the conversation by offering hard-earned advice and hope to those still struggling, proving that even after decades of addiction and trauma, recovery is possible.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcast👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this powerful and deeply honest episode, Louis and Aaron sit down with Naveah Benton to hear her story of growing up in the shadow of addiction. Born to two teenage parents struggling with substance abuse, Naveah’s life was shaped early by chaos, instability, and trauma. She opens up about her childhood surrounded by drugs, the loss of her father to an overdose, and watching her mother’s addiction spiral further as domestic violence and destructive relationships took hold.Naveah shares moments no child should have to endure—being exposed to adult situations at a young age, witnessing her parents’ painful histories with addiction, and experiencing physical and emotional abuse firsthand. Despite everything, she reflects on how these experiences impacted her perspective, her resilience, and the lessons she’s carried forward.This episode is raw, emotional, and eye-opening, offering an unfiltered look at what happens after a child is born into addiction—and how survival, self-awareness, and hard-earned wisdom can emerge from even the darkest beginnings. Naveah closes by sharing heartfelt advice for others who may be walking a similar path.⚠️ Viewer discretion advised: This episode discusses addiction, domestic violence, and childhood trauma.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcast👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this powerful and unfiltered episode, Louis interviews Taelor Thorton, whose life story is a stark portrait of trauma, addiction, and survival. Born with cystic fibrosis, Taelor grew up facing serious medical challenges that shaped her childhood and sense of self. By her early teens, she was already drinking, misusing prescription stimulants, and acting out in dangerous ways, including stealing her parents’ car. At the same age, she experienced a devastating sexual assault by an older man, a turning point that deepened her spiral. Taelor opens up about overdosing on insulin, graduating high school while immersed in substances like cocaine, Xanax, and Percs, and how her addiction escalated rapidly after discovering fentanyl following the death of her grandmother.As her use intensified, Taelor describes overdosing repeatedly, abandoning her cystic fibrosis and diabetes medications, and watching her weight and health collapse. She shares the reality of catching a possession charge, overdosing in a parking lot before court, and the heartbreaking barriers that kept her from traditional rehab due to her medical condition. Prison followed, and so did relapse immediately after release, pulling her into stripping, more overdoses, temporary blindness, and exposure to xylazine and its horrific physical effects. Her journey then turns even darker as she recounts traveling toward Florida, losing her belongings, being threatened with trafficking, and ultimately being picked up by a pimp who auctioned her and another woman off and sexually assaulted her. The episode culminates in Taelor’s escape, calling the police, being taken to the hospital, placed on life support, and beginning the fight for recovery. This conversation is a raw look at what it means to survive fentanyl, xylazine, crack addiction, and sexual trafficking while battling a life-threatening illness—and what it takes to keep going when survival itself feels impossible.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcast👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this powerful and honest conversation, Aaron and Louis sit down with Elaine Berman to unpack a life that, on the surface, looked relatively normal—but carried deep, hidden wounds beneath it. Elaine opens up about her early years in ballet, including the discipline and pressure of an extremely strict instructor, before sharing the trauma of a sexual assault she experienced at a young age. From there, she walks listeners through pivotal moments of growing up, first dates, graduating, and celebrating youth, while unknowingly stepping into patterns that would later shape her struggles.As the conversation unfolds, Elaine describes falling into relationships marked by infidelity, experimentation, and self-destruction. What begins as a spontaneous strip club audition turns into a new identity, life on stage, and exposure to the darker, addictive side of stripping. She speaks candidly about her first lap dance, substance use, and a series of intense relationships that pulled her deeper into chaos, including relapses and encounters with drugs she never imagined trying. Elaine also reflects on how these chapters eventually came to an end, what rock bottom looked like, and how she found her way into recovery. The episode closes with hope, as Elaine shares how healing, self-work, and a healthier relationship helped her begin a new chapter. This is a raw, unfiltered story of survival, consequences, and the strength it takes to rebuild.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcast👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this powerful and unfiltered interview, Charles Straley sits down with Louis and Aaron to share a life story shaped by addiction, trauma, foster care, prison, and ultimately redemption.Born to alcoholic parents and placed into foster care at a young age, Charles was forced to grow up fast—taking care of households that weren’t his, surviving violence, and navigating loss most kids couldn’t imagine. By 12 years old, he was drinking daily, catching cases, and spiraling into a life of crime that would eventually lead to prison, heroin addiction, homelessness, and repeated overdoses.This episode traces Charles’s journey from:childhood abuse and foster careearly criminal charges and incarcerationyears of alcohol and heroin addictionliving and working inside trap housesoverdosing daily and running from parole…to a turning point marked by spiritual collapse, unexpected legal grace, and ultimately rebuilding his life and gaining custody of his son.This is not just a story about addiction—it’s a story about survival, accountability, and the possibility of change, no matter how deep the bottom feels.Viewer discretion advised: This episode contains discussions of addiction, violence, incarceration, and overdose.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcast👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this raw, unflinching conversation, Louis sits down with Mya Kiskaden to walk through a life shaped by trauma, survival, and the long shadow of addiction. Mya opens up about being sexually assaulted by her grandfather at a young age and how that early violence set her on a destructive path marked by daily drinking as a teenager and spiraling substance use. She shares the physical and emotional toll of becoming a mother far too young, enduring serious health complications, multiple surgeries during pregnancy, and the heartbreak of losing a baby years later. The loss of her brother to an overdose becomes a breaking point, followed by prescriptions that turned into dependence, a failed marriage, and a descent into depression and addiction. Mya recounts relationships with addicts and abusers, being assaulted while under the influence, chasing chaos through dating apps, and sinking deeper into cocaine, acid, crack, and meth. She describes what overdoses look like, what constant use does to the body and mind, and how love and loyalty kept her tied to a violent partner who drank heavily, beat her, trafficked her for drug money, and was later revealed to be a registered sex offender. Through stories of abuse, sleepless weeks, hospital beds, and using even on the edge of major surgery, Mya paints a dark portrait of how grief, trauma, and addiction fed each other. This episode is not easy to hear, but it is brutally honest, a testimony to how deep the fall can be and what it takes to claw your way back toward sobriety and survival.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcast👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives

In this unforgettable episode, Louis sits down with Jeremy Harrell, a U.S. military veteran whose life took a shocking and surreal turn after he returned home from serving his country. What begins as a story about service, sacrifice, and trying to do the right thing quickly unfolds into one of the most unbelievable cautionary tales you’ll ever hear.After spending time deployed in Iraq, Jeremy came home hoping to rebuild his life and continue serving—this time by helping others. Instead, he found himself fired while navigating the VA system, struggling to reintegrate, and facing the harsh realities many veterans know all too well. Refusing to give up, Jeremy did what few people would dare to do: he started a nonprofit organization aimed at making a difference where institutions had failed.The organization wasn’t fringe or ignored—it was so impactful that it was even recognized and selected by the History Channel, a moment that should have marked validation and success. But instead of praise and support, Jeremy’s nonprofit drew the attention of VA agents. What followed was almost unimaginable: he was issued a summons related to his nonprofit, charged with a Class C federal felony, and ultimately found himself incarcerated in federal prison.In this raw and eye-opening conversation, Jeremy breaks down how a veteran trying to serve his community ended up locked up by the very system meant to support him. He shares what it was like to go from Iraq to federal custody, how quickly life can unravel, and what this experience taught him about power, bureaucracy, and resilience. This is not just a story about prison—it’s about purpose, injustice, and the cost of standing up when the rules aren’t made for people like you.This is a true 1-of-1 story—one that raises serious questions about how veterans are treated, how nonprofits are policed, and how easily good intentions can turn into life-altering consequences. You won’t hear anything like this anywhere else.🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories on addiction, recovery, and resilience.Get a Grip Podcast Social Media: Find our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcast👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.#getagrip #redemptionstory #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #trauma #childhood #oxy #dealer #soberlife #wedorecover #childhoodtrauma #healing #inspiration #awareness #kingpin #trafficking #hustle #opioidcrisis #neardeathexperience #fyp #prison #bar #mistake #change #survivor #survival #tv #television #inspire #parole #officer #school #teacher #students #study #student #changinglives