Get a Grip Podcast
Get a Grip Podcast
Podcast Description
Get a Grip Podcast is hosted by Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes, both in recovery from addiction and alcoholism. In each episode, they share their unfiltered stories of overcoming addiction, time in prison, and struggles with mental health—mixing raw honesty with humor. The podcast gives a voice to the underdog, breaking down the stigma surrounding addiction and recovery. Through candid conversations and real-life experiences, Louis and Aaron inspire others on their journey, showing that while recovery is challenging, it’s possible. Tune in for laughter, hope, and stories of transformation.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast dives deep into addiction recovery, mental health, and personal transformation, featuring episodes that include stories of overcoming the opioid crisis, heroin addiction, and the impact of the prison system, such as interviews with individuals like David Crego who discuss their deep involvement in the opioid epidemic.

Get a Grip Podcast is hosted by Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes, both in recovery from addiction and alcoholism. In each episode, they share their unfiltered stories of overcoming addiction, time in prison, and struggles with mental health—mixing raw honesty with humor. The podcast gives a voice to the underdog, breaking down the stigma surrounding addiction and recovery. Through candid conversations and real-life experiences, Louis and Aaron inspire others on their journey, showing that while recovery is challenging, it’s possible. Tune in for laughter, hope, and stories of transformation.
In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Carrie Ann for a raw and eye-opening conversation about opioid addiction, heroin, crime, motherhood, and the difficult road to recovery. Carrie Ann’s story reveals just how quickly prescription painkillers can take over someone’s life and how far addiction can push a person when getting high becomes the only thing that matters.
Carrie Ann opens up about growing up with an alcoholic father and how her life began to change after leaving a healthy relationship and getting involved with someone she describes as the “bad boy.” Her introduction to opiates eventually turned into a serious addiction, made even more complicated when she was prescribed Lortab and Percocet for severe period cramps. What started with prescription medication quickly spiraled out of control.
As her addiction progressed, Carrie Ann began stealing money from work, including taking insurance copays to support her daily pill habit. After losing her job and cashing out her 401(k), she moved from prescription painkillers to heroin and eventually began injecting drugs. She also shares how she was introduced to speedballing and just how dangerous and chaotic her addiction became.
Her story takes an even darker turn as she describes the crimes she committed to support her habit, including burglarizing a woman’s home, getting followed by police, and being caught at GameStop. After spending a night in the Pike County Jail and facing a felony burglary charge, Carrie Ann went right back to using. She also opens up about robbing a store while under the influence of Xanax and the destructive decisions that continued to follow her.
Carrie Ann eventually became pregnant and managed to stay clean throughout her pregnancy, but the battle with addiction was far from over. One of the most difficult moments came when her daughter discovered that she was getting high. That experience became part of a much bigger turning point, as Carrie Ann began to recognize what addiction had taken from her and what she needed to do to change.
Today, Carrie Ann shares what finally started clicking, what recovery looks like in her life, and the lessons she hopes others can take from her experiences. This is an honest conversation about the consequences of addiction, the impact it has on families, and the possibility of finding a way out even after years of destructive choices.
🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.
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