Get a Grip Podcast

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 part of his life. What started as experimentation would gradually develop into something much more dangerous. He discusses his first arrest and how his choices began leading him down a path of increasingly serious consequences.

When Matthew went to college, partying became a major part of his lifestyle, but Xanax addiction soon began taking control. He shares stories about getting arrested in Texas for marijuana and the frightening experiences that came with driving while heavily under the influence of Xanax. He also describes the wide range of drugs he was using, including his experiences with promethazine and lean, and how substance use continued escalating as he chased the next high.

As his addiction progressed, Matthew experienced psychosis and found himself desperately trying to get back into rehab. Even treatment wasn't a straightforward path. He discusses nearly getting kicked out of rehab, meeting his future wife while in treatment, and eventually finding ways to obtain research chemical benzodiazepines after leaving. His addiction continued to evolve, eventually involving crack and cocaine, along with a dangerous episode involving liquid benzodiazepines.

Matthew also opens up about what happened after he initially got sober, including periods when he continued dabbling in addiction. He explains how difficult it was to completely leave drugs behind and how the cycle of substance use continued to affect his life. But everything began to change when he had his first child. Becoming a father gave him a new perspective, a new responsibility, and a reason to stop using everything and build a different future.

One of the most sobering moments of the conversation comes when Matthew discusses learning that someone who had been sober for ten years died from an overdose. His story highlights the dangers of relapse, the unpredictable nature of addiction, and the importance of taking recovery seriously, even after years of sobriety.

This is a powerful conversation about Xanax addiction, prescription drug abuse, polydrug use, psychosis, treatment, relapse, fatherhood, and the difficult process of rebuilding a life after addiction.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, you are not alone. Recovery is possible, and asking for help can be the first step toward a different life.

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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 recounts being robbed while working as a gas station attendant during college, an experience that added another layer to an already complicated life.

PJ eventually joined the military, beginning with the Army Reserves before entering the Air Force. His service took him to bases around the world before he ultimately found himself stationed in Anchorage, Alaska. During his military career, he became a helicopter pilot, taking on demanding training and missions that required intense focus, discipline, and courage.

But life after those experiences brought a different kind of battle. PJ discusses being diagnosed with PTSD and being prescribed a variety of medications to manage his symptoms. He opens up about what that period of his life was like and how his search for relief eventually led him toward alternative treatment options and a deeper exploration of spirituality.

PJ shares his experiences with PTSD treatment, intravenous ketamine infusions, and ibogaine treatment, explaining how these experiences influenced his perspective on trauma, healing, and consciousness. He also describes what he considers the most profound spiritual experience of his life and how it changed his understanding of himself and the world around him.

This conversation explores the complicated journey of living with trauma, searching for answers when traditional approaches may not feel sufficient, and discovering new ways to understand personal suffering. PJ's story raises important questions about PTSD, mental health treatment, spirituality, and the different paths people pursue in their search for healing.

If you or someone you love is struggling with trauma, addiction, or mental health challenges, you are not alone. There is hope, and support is available.

🔔 Like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories about addiction, recovery, resilience, and redemption.

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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 moments in James's story involves a meth-related robbery that ended with him being shot. But even after recovering from his gunshot wound, James went right back to using drugs. His addiction continued to spiral, and he experienced another devastating moment when he found his friend dead in his apartment after a night of drug use.

Eventually, James lost his apartment and began moving into abandoned houses, spending years living in what are known as bandos. He describes what life was like during that period, how much meth he was using every day, and the dangerous situations that became part of his routine.

In another terrifying moment, James went to a casino believing he was using meth, only to discover the substance contained fentanyl. He overdosed and was given Narcan three times, coming dangerously close to being pronounced dead.

As his addiction continued, James found himself facing felony charges and additional legal trouble after being caught with a gun and drugs. Those experiences became a turning point, forcing him to reconsider where his life was headed.

James eventually began his recovery journey and shares how treatment helped change his direction. He also discusses how he went from struggling with addiction himself to working in the treatment field and helping others who are facing similar battles.

This is a powerful conversation about meth addiction, homelessness, surviving violence and overdose, the consequences of addiction, and the possibility of turning your life around. James's story is a reminder that even after years of chaos and devastating setbacks, recovery and a new purpose are possible.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, you are not alone. Recovery is possible.

🔔 Like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories about addiction, recovery, resilience, and redemption.

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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 the circumstances that led to him using heroin for the first time while homeless.

A work injury would introduce another chapter in his addiction when Jasper was prescribed OxyContin. What began as medication for an injury eventually became part of a much larger battle with opioids. His substance use continued to escalate as he found himself drinking as many as six bottles of liquor a week while also using heroin.

Jasper eventually turned to fentanyl for the first time, leading to a terrifying overdose and another life-or-death moment in his addiction.

But his story doesn't end there. Jasper opens up about the beginning of his recovery journey and what it has taken to start rebuilding his life after homelessness, heroin, fentanyl, and repeated exposure to the devastating consequences of addiction.

This is an honest conversation about how quickly addiction can take hold, the realities of homelessness and opioid addiction, the dangers of fentanyl, and the possibility of finding a way forward.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, you are not alone. Recovery is possible.

🔔 Like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories about addiction, recovery, resilience, and redemption.

Get a Grip Podcast Social Media:
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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 drinking shenanigans that followed during his college years.

As Jason's career began to take off, so did his drinking. He explains how alcohol gradually became a bigger part of his life and eventually began affecting his career, finances, relationships, and decision-making. He also shares stories about getting into trouble with the IRS, spending money on college girls, and some unforgettable nights involving gentlemen's clubs and bartenders.

One relationship would lead to one of the most chaotic periods of his drinking. After breaking up with his favorite bartender, Jason went on an eight-day bender that ended with him wrecking his car while drunk—and somehow still driving it home.

Eventually, Jason's drinking reached a breaking point. After recording a .34 BAC, he was forced to detox and confront just how far his alcohol use had progressed.

Today, Jason is sober and has a completely different perspective on his past. He talks about what life is like in recovery, the importance of sponsorship, and the lessons he's learned along the way. He also opens up about where he is today and what recovery has given him that alcohol never could.

This is a raw and often hilarious conversation about alcoholism, the consequences of drinking, relationships, career struggles, and the process of rebuilding your life in recovery.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, you are not alone. Recovery is possible.

🔔 Like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories about addiction, recovery, resilience, and redemption.

Get a Grip Podcast Social Media:
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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 he started working as a line cook, where cocaine entered the picture and vodka became a constant part of his life.

A prescription for Vicodin would become a major turning point. Jordan describes how quickly his drug use progressed from Vicodin to Roxy 30s and eventually snorting pills. But in the middle of his addiction, Jordan met the woman who would become the love of his life.

Even as he was building a relationship and planning a wedding, his addiction continued behind the scenes. Jordan shares the unbelievable story of receiving $10,000 for his wedding and going on his honeymoon with Norco pills taped to his leg—only for the pills to fall out during TSA.

Eventually, his wife discovered the truth. Jordan went to treatment and was placed on Suboxone, but he was still drinking heavily. He opens up about just how much vodka he was consuming and the dangerous consequences that followed, including the terrifying moment when his 18-month-old daughter accidentally got hold of his Suboxone.

After eventually getting off Suboxone, Jordan's alcohol use became even more intense during COVID. He describes the bizarre games he began playing with alcohol and how his drinking spiraled further out of control.

One of the darkest moments came when his wife confronted him about his drinking. Jordan responded by drinking an entire bottle of Wild Turkey and attempting to burn down the house. He was kicked out and was finally forced to confront how far his addiction had taken him.

Eventually, Jordan walked into an AA meeting and began taking a different path. But even years later, he explains that alcohol remained a struggle and shares the unusual deal he made with God about when he would allow himself to get drunk again.

This is a powerful and unfiltered conversation about alcoholism, prescription drug addiction, cocaine, marriage, fatherhood, relapse, consequences, faith, and recovery. Jordan also reflects on the complicated relationship between the pain he experienced, the addiction that followed, and the possibility that he may never have met his wife without the path that prescription drugs put him on.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, you are not alone. Recovery is possible.

🔔 Like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories about addiction, recovery, resilience, and redemption.

Get a Grip Podcast Social Media:
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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 and alcohol. He also talks about running onto the Fenway field and getting tackled, a moment that went viral on social media.

Eventually, Chris found a passion for cutting hair and began getting his life somewhat under control. But after being introduced to Xanax, the addiction returned. Becoming a father, a breakup, and repeated relapses sent his substance use into a much darker place.

Chris describes smoking crack, using Percocet, abusing nitrous oxide, developing a 7OH habit, experiencing seizures and withdrawal, and eventually shooting fentanyl. He also opens up about overdosing, hospitalizations, nerve damage from heavy nitrous use, and the events that finally led him to detox and treatment.

Today, Chris is in recovery and reflects on everything he went through and what life looks like now.

This is a raw story about addiction, relapse, fatherhood, overdose, and finding a way back.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, you are not alone. Recovery is possible.

🔔 Like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories about addiction, recovery, resilience, and redemption.

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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 ways he didn't fully understand until later in life.

As Jason got older, drinking gradually became an everyday part of his life. What started as drinking eventually became a daily routine, setting the stage for an addiction that would become increasingly difficult to control.

When Jason's father died, he inherited $80,000. But instead of using the money to build a better future, Jason was already deep into cocaine use. He eventually discovered crack cocaine and describes how quickly it took over his life. Incredibly, Jason spent approximately $40,000 in less than five months on crack while continuing to show up for work and maintain the appearance that everything was normal.

Jason also takes Louis and Aaron through his experiences hustling in the Hilltop, where his addiction and lifestyle continued to escalate. He shares stories about getting caught up in situations that could have resulted in serious legal consequences, including an unbelievable incident while abroad.

The story gets even crazier when Jason talks about traveling and continuing to find crack, including getting drugs in Mexico and interacting with military personnel while using crack. His addiction didn't stop when he left home—it followed him wherever he went.

Jason also opens up about receiving another $40,000 and what happened to that money, including a period where his addiction led him to steal valuable coins. These stories reveal just how far his addiction progressed and the lengths he was willing to go to continue feeding it.

But eventually, something had to change.

Jason discusses the point when he finally began moving toward recovery and started confronting the addiction that had consumed so much of his life. His story is a powerful reminder that addiction can affect anyone, regardless of whether they are still working, making money, traveling, or appearing successful from the outside.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, you are not alone. Recovery is possible.

🔔 Like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories about addiction, recovery, resilience, and redemption.

Get a Grip Podcast Social Media:

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[email protected]

👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

#GetAGripPodcast #AddictionRecovery #RecoveryJourney #CrackAddiction #Addiction #SoberLife #WeDoRecover #MentalHealth #Recovery #Relapse #Sobriety #DrugAddiction #AlcoholAddiction

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 of his life.

Cory talks about starting to shoot drugs at 14 and being introduced to OxyContin at 15. His story offers a disturbing look at how early exposure to drugs can quickly escalate and how difficult it can be to break free once addiction takes hold.

After periods of trying to get his life back on track, Cory experienced relapse and found himself facing another devastating chapter. He suffered a stroke and ultimately needed brain surgery, adding an unimaginable medical crisis to an already difficult battle with addiction.

One of the most powerful moments of the conversation comes when Cory describes being on Sullivant Avenue with a walker, physically struggling after everything he had been through, while still trying to find drugs. It's a striking example of just how powerful addiction can become—and how far someone can fall while still chasing the next high.

But Cory's story doesn't end there.

He explains what is different about his sobriety this time and what has changed in his mindset after years of addiction, relapse, and consequences. Cory also shares advice for anyone currently struggling with substance use or trying to find their way back into recovery.

This is an intense and emotional conversation about childhood trauma, crack cocaine, IV heroin use, OxyContin, relapse, stroke, brain surgery, homelessness, and the difficult road toward recovery.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, you are not alone. Recovery is possible.

🔔 Like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories about addiction, recovery, resilience, and redemption.

Get a Grip Podcast Social Media:
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https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcast

📩 Collaboration & Business Inquiries:
[email protected]

👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

#GetAGripPodcast #AddictionRecovery #RecoveryJourney #CrackAddiction #Addiction #SoberLife #WeDoRecover #MentalHealth #Recovery #Relapse #Sobriety #DrugAddiction #AlcoholAddiction #AddictionAwareness #RedemptionStory #OvercomingAddiction #RecoveryStory #Hope #Resilience #Healing #addictiontreatment

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 escalate as he got older.

After being expelled from multiple schools, Dave was introduced to Percocet and OxyContin. Before long, he found himself learning the street economy—dealing drugs on corners and even driving prostitutes around to make money and support his lifestyle.

Eventually, Dave became hooked on heroin.

His addiction would cost him almost everything. Dave talks about losing his daughter's mother and his daughter, eventually finding himself living out of his car and struggling to survive.

Dave also shares one of the darkest and most chaotic periods of his addiction, including a terrifying episode of psychosis while shooting speedballs and experimenting with dangerous ways of using drugs. His behavior became increasingly unpredictable as his addiction spiraled further out of control.

Even family became involved in the chaos. Dave describes participating in grocery store scams with his mother and aunt, eventually watching his mother get arrested as a result of one of those schemes. He also opens up about his experiences in jail and what those moments taught him.

Eventually, Dave began taking steps toward a different life. He went through detox, started attending meetings, and began looking for something beyond the cycle of drugs and survival.

Today, Dave is working on developing a book and a game while reflecting on the experiences that shaped him. He explains the moment his perspective began to change and what ultimately helped him see that there could be something more waiting for him on the other side of addiction.

This is a raw and unfiltered story about childhood trauma, addiction, heroin, homelessness, family, crime, psychosis, incarceration, recovery, and the power of changing your perspective.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, you are not alone. Recovery is possible.