Get a Grip Podcast

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with Sahara Tomlin for a raw and eye-opening conversation about growing up around addiction, fentanyl, family struggles, drug dealing, and the difficult road to recovery. Sahara shares what it was like being raised by parents who were IV drug users and how addiction became part of her life long before she understood just how dangerous it could be.

Sahara opens up about becoming addicted to fentanyl pills after believing she was taking Xanax. As her addiction progressed, she found herself selling the same pills that...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with Alex Deener for an intense and unfiltered conversation about early drug use, opioid addiction, heroin, prison, violence, relapse, and the long road to recovery. Alex's story is a powerful look at how addiction can take hold at a young age and spiral into consequences that change the course of an entire life.

Alex opens up about his childhood and getting caught with painkillers in middle school, an incident that led to a felony charge and being pushed into online school. With fewer boundaries and...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Lauren Hamilton for a raw, emotional conversation about opioid addiction, fentanyl, family trauma, sexual assault, relapse, motherhood, and finding recovery after years of struggle.

Lauren shares how an injury while attending nursing school led to pain management and an addiction to Percocet and tramadol. In a shocking turn, she discovers her father is also struggling with opioid addiction, and the two eventually use OxyContin together. As Lauren's addiction progresses, she becomes hooked on counterfeit Percocet 30s containing fentanyl, experiences repeated relapses...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with Colleen for a raw, emotional, and eye-opening conversation about childhood trauma, losing her brother, alcoholism, blackouts, multiple DUIs, jail time, and finding a way into recovery after nearly three decades of drinking. Colleen shares the story behind her headline-grabbing experience of being a blackout drinker from the age of 11 to 39, opening up about the painful experiences and destructive patterns that shaped much of her life.

Colleen begins by reflecting on her childhood and what it was like growing up as the “bad kid.” She disc...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Andrew Z for a raw, emotional, and eye-opening conversation about prescription pill addiction, heroin, grief, family tragedy, relapse, and the devastating consequences of addiction. Andrew opens up about his childhood in Toledo, Ohio, how his parents' relationship shaped his early years, and how a series of unexpected life events eventually led him down a path he never imagined.

Andrew describes growing up in Toledo and navigating his parents' separation when he was just 13 years old. After his father suffered a heart...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Nicole Pike for a raw, emotional, and unfiltered conversation about childhood abuse, prescription pills, heroin addiction, crack addiction, homelessness, losing custody of her children, and the long road back to recovery.

Nicole opens up about growing up with an abusive grandmother and how the trauma she experienced as a child shaped many of the struggles she would face later in life. As she got older, Nicole began taking tramadol before progressing to Percocet and other prescription opioids. Her addiction quickly became...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Devon Fitzpatrick for a raw and eye-opening conversation about bipolar disorder, substance use, psychosis, cocaine, PCP, meth, and the devastating impact that mental health and addiction can have when they collide.

Devon opens up about his childhood, including the unusual circumstances surrounding his birth—his mother was only 12 years old and pregnant with him. He also discusses growing up in a family where bipolar disorder affected multiple relatives and how those experiences shaped his understanding of mental health.

Devon de...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Matthew Fishrupp for a raw, intense, and eye-opening conversation about Xanax addiction, prescription drug abuse, partying, arrests, psychosis, rehab, and the long road to recovery. Matthew's story reveals how quickly recreational drug use can spiral into a life consumed by addiction, and how becoming a father ultimately changed everything.

Matthew opens up about his childhood and the experiences that shaped him growing up. After being sent to Marine Military Academy, he eventually returned to high school, where pills and marijuana became...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with PJ Wright for an intense and eye-opening conversation about childhood trauma, military service, PTSD, prescription medications, alternative treatments, and a profound spiritual awakening that changed the way he looks at life.

PJ opens up about growing up with alcoholic parents and the challenges he experienced during his childhood. He shares how his early experiences shaped him and discusses some of the difficult family revelations he encountered along the way, including discovering disturbing information about what his cousin had done to his uncle. He also...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with James Polley for a raw, intense, and eye-opening conversation about growing up gay, meth addiction, homelessness, violence, overdose, and finding a path to recovery.

James opens up about his childhood and the challenges he faced while growing up gay. As he got older, he was introduced to meth, setting off a chain of events that would dramatically change the course of his life.

One of the most shocking...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Jasper for a raw and heartbreaking conversation about homelessness, opioid addiction, heroin, fentanyl, overdose, and the journey toward recovery.

Jasper opens up about his childhood and the experiences that shaped him before addiction entered his life. One of the earliest turning points came when he experienced a friend overdosing, giving him a firsthand look at the dangers of addiction.

Eventually, Jasper found himself homeless and struggling with opioid addiction. He shares what life was like on the streets and...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Jason Gardner for a wild, honest, and ultimately inspiring conversation about alcoholism, career struggles, reckless drinking, relationships, consequences, and finding a way into recovery.

Jason opens up about his childhood and some embarrassing moments growing up before talking about his first experiences with alcohol. What started as teenage drinking quickly turned into a pattern that followed him into high school and college. He shares the story of wrecking his parents' car while drunk in high school and some of the unbelievable...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Jordan Py for a raw, emotional, and at times unbelievable story about alcoholism, prescription drugs, cocaine, addiction, marriage, fatherhood, relapse, and the long road toward recovery.

Jordan opens up about his childhood and his first experiences with alcohol before describing how drinking gradually progressed during college. What started as partying eventually became something much more serious. After landing a job as a police radio dispatcher, Jordan admits he was showing up to work extremely intoxicated. His drinking continued to escalate after...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with Chris Cole for an intense and unbelievable story about addiction, partying, fatherhood, relapse, and recovery.

Chris opens up about his childhood, early drinking, and how Adderall became his first real addiction. His substance use eventually escalated to cocaine, and by his senior year of high school, partying and cocaine had become a regular part of his life.

Chris shares some wild stories from his years of partying, including getting banned from Jerry Springer and Fenway Park after a night fueled by cocaine...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Jason Baer for a wild, emotional, and unbelievable story about family trauma, alcohol, cocaine, crack addiction, money, crime, international drug use, and ultimately finding his way into recovery.

Jason opens up about growing up in a chaotic home and the mental health struggles and abuse surrounding his father. He shares disturbing memories from his childhood, including an incident where his mother hit his father with a 2x4. Those experiences would shape Jason...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with Cory Baton for a raw and deeply personal conversation about childhood abuse, addiction, relapse, serious health complications, and the fight to finally build a life in recovery.

Cory opens up about a difficult childhood and the abuse he experienced growing up. By just 14 years old, Cory was already caught in the grip of addiction, using crack cocaine and eventually shooting heroin intravenously. What began at an incredibly young age would turn into years of substance use and consequences that would affect nearly every part...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Aaron Garnes sits down with Dave Marcus for an intense and unbelievable conversation about growing up with drug-addicted parents, being exposed to drugs from an early age, dealing drugs, heroin addiction, homelessness, psychosis, jail, and ultimately finding a reason to change his life.

Dave opens up about growing up in a household surrounded by addiction. His father was an amphetamine chemist, meaning drugs were a part of Dave's environment from a very young age. By just 12 years old, Dave was smoking PCP, and his substance use would continue to...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Tom McDonald for a powerful and eye-opening conversation about alcoholism, addiction, DUIs, family, prison, recovery, and what it takes to rebuild your life after decades of drinking.

Tom describes growing up with a good childhood before discovering vodka and eventually spending 10 years working as a bartender. His relationship with alcohol continued to grow until he found a job working for a liquor distributor—putting him even closer to the substance that would eventually consume his life.

Tom opens up ab...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with Ronnie Schaffer for a raw and deeply personal conversation about growing up with an alcoholic and abusive father, getting into the party scene at a young age, working in his dad’s bar, opioid addiction, fentanyl, loss, and ultimately finding a path toward recovery.

Ronnie opens up about his childhood and the impact his father's alcoholism and abuse had on him. He shares some unbelievable stories from growing up before talking about his teenage years, including dealing weed and throwing a massive high school pa...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Aaron Garnes sits down with Natalie France for a raw and deeply emotional conversation about addiction, motherhood, abusive relationships, homelessness, heroin, meth, incarceration, pregnancy, and finding recovery after years of chaos.

Natalie opens up about her childhood and her first experiences with alcohol before getting introduced to cocaine at just 16 years old. What started with cocaine quickly progressed into crack during high school, sending her down a path that would eventually lead to a full-blown addiction.

Hoping to escape her addiction and start over, Natalie moved to...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Gage Bobo for an emotional and brutally honest conversation about growing up around addiction, a father spending years in prison, cocaine, Xanax, Percocet 30s, homelessness, crime, relapse, and ultimately finding a reason to change.

Gage opens up about his childhood and what it was like having his dad spend six years in prison. He talks about his mom's cocaine use and the moment she introduced him to cocaine while he was still in middle school. What started as something he was...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Zach Henry for an intense and deeply honest conversation about addiction, trauma, fentanyl, xylazine, family, and the devastating consequences of losing control.

Zach grew up with alcoholic parents and was exposed to substance abuse and chaos at an early age. At just 14 years old, he was prescribed Xanax by a doctor, setting him on a path that would eventually lead to selling cocaine, abusing opioids, and eventually using fentanyl.

Zach opens up about the early days of his addiction...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Ted Beauchaine for one of the most unbelievable addiction and recovery stories we've ever heard.

Ted takes us back to a childhood spent moving around the country, attending nine different schools before reaching high school, and eventually discovering alcohol. His first experience with drinking quickly spiraled when he consumed half a fifth of 151-proof alcohol—and the consequences that followed were only the beginning.

Despite maintaining good grades and building an impressive academic career, Ted's drinking continued to escalate. Co...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Nick Newman for an incredibly raw and personal conversation about addiction, IV drug use, sexuality, relapse, recovery, and the moment he finally stopped hiding who he was.

Nick starts by taking us back to his childhood and high school years, eventually discovering his parents' stash of opiates. What began with partying and prescription pills eventually turned into daily drug use, taking him from college and a career in real estate to full-blown addiction.

Nick opens up about transitioning to...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Nick Newman for an incredible story that spans childhood addiction, the U.S. Army, combat deployments, prescription drugs, kratom, 7OH, and the long road toward recovery.

Nick opens up about a childhood that quickly went off the rails. By third grade, he had already been suspended twice, and by the age of 10 he was smoking weed regularly. At just 12 years old, he tried crack for the first time. What followed was a teenage life filled with schemes, getting expelled from high...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with Tony Newton for a raw and honest conversation about childhood trauma, addiction, crime, relationships, and the journey from fentanyl and heroin addiction into recovery.Tony opens up about a difficult childhood, including being sexually assaulted and being exposed to drug use by his own parents. He also talks about having aspirations of becoming a drug dealer at a young age and how those early experiences eventually led him deeper into the world of addiction.

Tony shares how his substance use progressed from prescription pills...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garne's sit down for a raw conversation about growing up around addiction, crack cocaine, prison, gambling, and finding a new way to live.

Their guest shares how his life spiraled from cocaine and crack addiction into a criminal lifestyle that eventually led to 78 felony convictions and a seven-year prison sentence. He opens up about getting his first prison number, serving time in six different prisons, and what it was really like inside Noble Correctional Institution during some of its worst years.

He also...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Briana Noda for a raw and deeply personal conversation about growing up around addiction, becoming a mother, fentanyl and heroin addiction, xylazine, incarceration, and finding a way into recovery.

Briana opens up about her childhood and what it was like growing up with addiction in her family. She shares how both of her parents struggled with drugs and how her grandfather was involved in selling cocaine. Despite everything around her, Briana had plans to join the Navy—until she found out sh...

In this heartbreaking and powerful episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Tina Lester for an incredibly honest conversation about addiction, prostitution, incarceration, recovery, and unimaginable loss.

Tina's story takes us back to her childhood and the beginning of her addiction to crack cocaine. She opens up about using crack while pregnant with her son, eventually becoming involved in prostitution to support her addiction, and the dangers she faced while working the streets.

Tina shares some of the most frightening experiences of her life, including an encounter with...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with Victoria Lombardo for an incredibly raw and emotional conversation about childhood trauma, addiction, family dysfunction, abusive relationships, and finding a way forward after unimaginable loss.

Victoria's story begins with a childhood surrounded by addiction and abuse. She opens up about growing up while her mother was involved in methamphetamine use and the traumatic experiences that shaped her from a young age. At just 13 years old, Victoria survived an overdose after unknowingly taking fentanyl that had been contaminated with another substance.

As she...

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Aaron Garnes turns the microphone around and interviews co-host Louis Essig about a chapter of his life he never expected to experience.

After years of sobriety from heroin addiction, Louis thought he had put his darkest days behind him. Then he landed what he considered his dream job and was prescribed benzodiazepines (benzos). What began as a legitimate prescription quickly became something much more difficult to control.

Louis opens up about the reality of benzodiazepine dependence, including the brutal withdrawal symptoms, restless legs...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with Catherine White for a raw and unfiltered conversation about meth addiction, life on the streets, crime, homelessness, and the difficult journey toward recovery.

Catherine opens up about her childhood and the experiences that eventually led her toward substance use. When meth entered her life, things quickly began to change. She shares what happened when she progressed to shooting meth for the first time and how addiction began taking control of her decisions and relationships.

Her story takes another devastating turn when her b...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Andrew Robbins for a raw conversation about growing up in crime, meth addiction, multiple prison sentences, and what it takes to finally break free from a life on the streets.

Andrew's struggles began at an early age. By just 14 years old, he was sentenced to juvenile detention for aggravated robbery, setting him on a path that would lead to years of incarceration and addiction. He reflects on how one decision after another pulled him deeper into the criminal justice system and...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Army veteran Andrew Robbins for a heartbreaking conversation about military service, family loss, addiction, and finding hope through faith and recovery.Andrew's journey began with a childhood that led him to enlist in the U.S. Army, where he hoped to build a meaningful future.

During his service, a parachuting accident left him seriously injured, introducing him to prescription opioid painkillers that would unknowingly change the course of his life.After leaving the military, Andrew returned home only to discover that...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Kimberly Ferrizzi for an incredibly honest conversation about addiction, faith, betrayal, and finding lasting recovery after losing everything.

Kimberly's story begins with what appeared to be a picture-perfect life. She married her grade-school sweetheart, who went on to become a minister, and together they built a family and a future. But behind closed doors, a prescription for migraines would unknowingly open the door to a devastating opioid addiction.

She shares how legitimate pain medication slowly became an obsession, leading...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with Quan White for an unbelievable conversation about violence, addiction, incarceration, and finding purpose after surviving experiences that most people could never imagine.Quan;s story begins with unimaginable childhood trauma. At just a young age, he witnessed his mother shoot his father multiple times—an event that forever changed the course of his life. Growing up surrounded by violence, survival quickly became the only way he knew how to live.

As he entered the streets, Quan became caught in a cycle of crime and re...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with Kaylee Ferren for one of the most heartbreaking and inspiring stories ever shared on the show. From being born addicted to crack cocaine to surviving years of severe abuse, exploitation, addiction, and trafficking, Kaylee's journey is a testament to the strength of the human spirit.

Kaylee and her twin brother entered the world already battling the effects of prenatal drug exposure and developmental challenges. Instead of finding safety, she endured unimaginable abuse throughout her childhood while living in foster care. She shares the horrific...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with Troy Sierer for a remarkable story of addiction, family, redemption, and long-term recovery.

Troy's addiction began during his junior year of high school when he was introduced to Quaaludes, a drug that quickly took control of his life. What started as experimenting with pills soon spiraled into a pattern of reckless behavior, including multiple DUIs before he was even out of his early twenties.

While working alongside his father in the family pizza business, Troy appeared to be building a successful future...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Chris Tudor for an incredible story of addiction, world travel, relapse, and the realization that no matter where you run, you can't outrun yourself.

Chris' struggles began early with juvenile detention and behavioral issues that hinted at a lifetime of chasing the next escape. After spending time at a recovery center as a young person, he believed he could leave addiction behind—but the patterns continued to follow him into adulthood.

Following his first felony stop, Chris enlisted in th...

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Rachid Yatkin for an unforgettable conversation about childhood trauma, incarceration, addiction, and the fight to rebuild a life after years of destructive choices.Rachid's story begins with a turbulent childhood marked by conflict at home. He opens up about his complicated relationship with his father, enduring abuse from his mother, and growing up as what he describes as a "Ritalin baby."

He also reflects on what it was like being a student during the September 11th attacks and how those early...