Get a Grip Podcast

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 about getting two DUIs on the same day, getting married, and becoming a father to his daughter while still struggling with alcoholism. After eventually making his way into a halfway house and getting a year of sobriety, Tom found himself replacing alcohol with another addiction: crack cocaine.
For a period of time, Tom was smoking crack but wasn't drinking. He talks about the vodka he drank, how every single dime he made seemed to go toward alcohol, and just how completely his addiction took control of his life.
After years of drinking, Tom's addiction eventually led to his eighth DUI. But this time, something happened that changed everything. His 10-year-old daughter wrote him a letter, forcing him to confront the impact his drinking was having on the people he loved most.
That letter became one of the biggest turning points in Tom's life.
After his eighth DUI, Tom was sentenced to three years in prison and required to attend 2,000 AA meetings. He finally began the process of getting sober after nearly 30 years of drinking.
But sobriety wasn't just about putting down the vodka. Tom had to rebuild his relationship with his daughter, learn how to live differently, and eventually discover a new purpose by helping other people struggling with addiction.
Today, Tom works in recovery and helps people battling all kinds of substance use issues. He shares what he's learned from decades of addiction and recovery, including some of the challenges people face with Medicaid and accessing treatment.
Tom also offers his first piece of advice to someone who is on Day One of sobriety—a simple message that could make all the difference for someone trying to change their life.
🔔 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

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 party that would become one of many turning points in his life.
After getting kicked out, Ronnie found himself living at the top of a bar before eventually becoming a bartender at his dad's establishment. What initially seemed like a way to make a living quickly became a lifestyle centered around the bar. Ronnie talks about his daily routine, drinking, and eventually starting to pop Percocet.
Things began to spiral after Ronnie was kicked out of working at his dad's bar. His opioid use intensified, eventually leading him to get high using his grandmother's fentanyl patches.
Then Ronnie's world was hit with another devastating loss when his dad developed throat cancer and passed away.
Ronnie also opens up about one of the darkest moments of his addiction, including an incident involving a nail gun, before explaining how he eventually found his way toward medication-assisted treatment.
Today, Ronnie is taking 18mg of Suboxone a day and talks openly about what life in recovery on MAT looks like for him. He shares his perspective on Suboxone, what has helped him stay on track, and the advice he would give to anyone struggling with opioid addiction.
This is a powerful conversation about childhood trauma, addiction, grief, and finding a way to survive—and ultimately rebuild your life.
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:
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

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 California looking for a geographical cure. But changing locations couldn't change what was happening inside. She found herself in abusive relationships before meeting her first husband, and eventually discovering OxyContin.
Back in Ohio, Natalie was using OxyContin and meth while raising a newborn. Before long, she found heroin, and her addiction escalated even further. She talks about what it was like trying to work and parent while living as an active addict—and how she managed to keep going despite the chaos surrounding her.
Natalie eventually moved to Georgia, where she spent years taking methadone, gabapentin, and Xanax. She also found herself repeatedly dealing with the legal system over petty crimes committed to support her addiction.
One of the most unbelievable moments of her story happens when Natalie is stopped by an undercover officer after leaving a trap house. In an attempt to avoid getting caught, she swallowed a large amount of meth and ultimately ended up in jail.
But that wasn't her lowest point.
Natalie eventually dropped her kids off, became homeless, and spent approximately a year and a half shooting heroin. Then, at 38 years old, she discovered something that would completely change her life: she was five months pregnant.
At the same time, Natalie was overdosing every day.
Her addiction had reached an unimaginable level. But just when it seemed like there was no way out, her cousin stepped back into her life, took her to rehab, and helped give her another chance.
Natalie talks openly about what her rock bottom really looked like, what finally pushed her into recovery, and what getting sober actually meant after years of addiction. She also shares what happened with her child and how recovery began changing her life.
🔔 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 #Professor #NotreDame #UCBerkeley

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 exposed to at home would eventually become a major part of his own life.
After suffering an injury playing football, Gage's life began taking an increasingly difficult turn. He shares a deeply troubling moment when he attempted to take his own life but doesn't even remember doing it. By high school, his cocaine use was off and running.
Gage eventually left Ohio to work on an oil rig, but returning home brought him right back into the environment and behaviors he had been trying to escape. He talks about a night on Xanax, his first experience with Percocet 30s, and how the combination of Perc 30s and cocaine pushed his addiction to another level.
As his addiction progressed, Gage reached his rock bottom. He talks about the things he did to get money, manipulating relationships, stealing, and even robbing someone. His story takes some very dark turns before he finally begins to realize that something has to change.
But getting clean didn't immediately mean everything was fixed.
Gage talks about entering recovery but eventually selling fentanyl to people inside a recovery house. He describes making progress in sobriety while still struggling with relationships and becoming addicted to women. A relationship ultimately contributed to another relapse, and before long, the consequences caught up with him again when the police came looking for him.
Then came a life-changing discovery: Gage found out that the woman he had been involved with was pregnant.
From childhood trauma and addiction to crime, relapse, recovery, and becoming a father, Gage's story shows just how complicated the road to sobriety can be—and how sometimes the biggest reason to change comes when you realize your actions affect more than just yourself.
This is another raw, unfiltered conversation about addiction, consequences, recovery, and 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: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 #Professor #NotreDame #UCBerkeley

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, including how his opiate use began, the ways his addiction quickly escalated, and how much money he and others were stealing from their parents to fuel their habits. He talks about fentanyl being cut with "Rizzi," his transition into xylazine, and just how dangerous the drug supply became.
As his addiction progressed, Zach's life began to completely unravel. His girlfriend and children left, and he describes how he essentially burned his life to the ground. He talks about going to Florida, how badly he was using, getting a DUI in someone else's car, and the havoc his addiction created.
Zach also gets brutally honest about the first time he injected fentanyl and the devastating lows that followed. He discusses the emergence of xylazine, the different ways it was being used, "butt dope" and "chicken dope," and eventually being arrested after repeatedly passing out.
Things continued to spiral as Zach progressed to smoking fentanyl and using methamphetamine. Eventually, his addiction reached a point where something had to change.
But this story doesn't end there.
Zach talks about where he is today, how he and his family are making things work, and the things he does every day to maintain his sobriety. He also discusses the growing dangers of "tranq"—xylazine—and the brutal withdrawal that can come with it.
This is a raw look at how quickly addiction can take everything from someone—and what it takes to start putting the pieces back together.
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: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 #Professor #NotreDame #UCBerkeley