Get a Grip Podcast

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Alana Hissong for a wild, unfiltered conversation about addiction, crime, prison, fentanyl, and recovery. From getting a DUI at 17 to building a shoplifting operation and facing years behind bars, Alana's story is filled with shocking twists and hard lessons.
Alana opens up about dropping out of high school, blacking out at a young age, and developing addictions to cocaine, methamphetamine, and Adderall while raising two children. As her addiction escalated, she became involved in organized shoplifting, stealing expensive merchandise and pulling off increasingly risky thefts. One attempted robbery at the Tanger Outlets ended in a police pursuit, gunfire, and the possibility of a ten-year prison sentence.
After receiving a three-year prison sentence, Alana began finding recovery, but staying sober after release proved difficult. She relapsed, returned to methamphetamine, and eventually began selling pressed fentanyl pills without initially realizing exactly what they contained. Her addiction eventually progressed to injecting fentanyl, and an overdose became another turning point in her life.
After years of chaos, Alana finally began taking recovery seriously. Despite entering treatment with eight outstanding warrants, she started rebuilding her life and eventually began working in the treatment field to help others. Her journey is a powerful reminder that even after addiction, incarceration, and repeated setbacks, change 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, iHeartRadio links, and more on our Linktree below!
Get a Grip Social Media Links:
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#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 #changinglivesdaily

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig sits down with Justin Reynolds for a raw and powerful conversation about childhood drug use, methamphetamine, heroin addiction, overdoses, faith, and the fight to rebuild a life after addiction. Justin shares how his struggles began at a young age and how what started as experimentation eventually spiraled into a dangerous cycle that nearly cost him everything.
Justin opens up about using bath salts as a kid while playing Call of Duty, eventually moving into smoking methamphetamine and stealing prescription painkillers from girls in his life. As his addiction progressed, heroin entered the picture and quickly became his primary struggle. He reflects on the consequences of his drug use, including getting his first DUI while on meth and experiencing overdoses that brought him frighteningly close to death.
After years of destructive choices and repeated danger, Justin explains what finally pushed him toward detox and recovery. He shares how going to The Refuge became a turning point, helping him reconnect with faith and begin looking at his life differently. His journey highlights the difficult work of getting sober, finding purpose, and learning how to live without the substances that once controlled him.
Justin also talks about what life looks like today and the loss of a friend he experienced while in sobriety. His story is a reminder that recovery doesn't erase every hardship, but it can give people the strength and perspective to face life's pain without returning to addiction.
This is an honest conversation about meth, heroin, overdoses, faith, grief, and the possibility of transformation. Justin Reynolds' journey shows how far addiction can take someone—and how a commitment to recovery can open the door to a completely different life.
⏱ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 – Childhood and Growing Up
7:00 – Doing Bath Salts as a Kid While Playing COD
13:00 – Getting Hooked on Meth
16:00 – Stealing Percs From Girls
22:00 – Trying Heroin for the First Time
25:00 – When His Addiction Shifted to Heroin
29:45 – Getting His First DUI on Meth
41:00 – One of His Last Overdoses
45:00 – What Finally Led Him to Detox and Recovery
55:00 – Finding God and Going to Refuge
1:12:00 – Life in Recovery Today
1:35:00 – Losing a Friend While Sober
🔥 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, iHeartRadio links, and more on our Linktree 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 #changinglivesdaily

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 were controlling her life. She describes trying to quit cold turkey, the frightening experiences she witnessed while spending time at her drug dealer’s house, and the hustle she saw growing up—including the way her mother navigated life in the drug world.
Her story also explores her complicated relationship with her parents and what happened when she began running with her father before making another attempt to get clean. Sahara explains how she eventually turned toward treatment, including getting on Sublocade and later receiving Vivitrol as part of her recovery journey.
This is an unfiltered conversation about the impact of growing up around addiction, the dangers of counterfeit pills, and how family cycles can shape a person's life. Sahara also shares advice for anyone struggling with addiction or trying to find a way out. Her story is a reminder that even when addiction feels like all you've ever known, change is possible and recovery can begin with a single decision.
🔥 Expect emotion. Expect truth. Expect hope.
🔔 Like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories about addiction, recovery, resilience, and redemption.
Get a Grip Podcast Social Media:
TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio & more:
https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcast
📩 Collaboration & Business Inquiries:
getagrippodcast614@gmail.com
👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
#GetAGripPodcast #AddictionRecovery #RecoveryJourney #Fentanyl #Xanax #OpioidAddiction #Addiction #SoberLife #WeDoRecover #MentalHealth #Recovery #Relapse #Sobriety #DrugAddiction #AddictionAwareness #FamilyAddiction #BreakingTheCycle #RecoveryStory #Hope #Resilience #Healing

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 his drug use escalating, Alex became deeply involved with opioid pills during high school. At just 18 years old, he tried heroin for the first time, setting off a devastating chapter of addiction. He describes the progression from Opana to heroin and the dangerous decisions that pulled him further into a life centered around drugs.
Eventually, Alex was caught with cocaine and heroin and received prison time. He shares the brutal reality of incarceration, including a jail fight that left his jaw broken and the experience of being locked up at the Ohio State Penitentiary. As his addiction continued, crack cocaine became another part of his struggle. Alex also reflects on his childhood experiences with Adderall, the challenges of trying to get sober, and the repeated trips in and out of treatment that came before he began to understand what lasting recovery would require.
🔥 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, iHeartRadio links, and more on our Linktree 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 #changinglivesdaily

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, and struggles to find lasting recovery.
Lauren also opens up about surviving a violent attack and sexual assault, experiencing a miscarriage, and watching her addiction shift from opioids to crack cocaine. Even after multiple treatment attempts and devastating setbacks, becoming pregnant with her daughter pushes her to seek help and commit to sobriety.
Today, Lauren is rebuilding her relationship with her husband and working as a nurse in the recovery field, using her own experiences to help others. Her story is a powerful reminder that even after trauma, addiction, and repeated relapses, recovery and a new purpose are possible.
🔔 Like, comment, and subscribe for more powerful stories about addiction, recovery, resilience, and redemption.
Get a Grip Podcast Social Media:
TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio & more:
https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcast
📩 Collaboration & Business Inquiries:
getagrippodcast614@gmail.com
👇 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