Get a Grip Podcast

In this powerful episode, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Dr. Nicole Labor to hear a story that challenges everything people think they know about addiction, recovery, and redemption.Nicole grew up in a strict household where drugs were something to fear and avoid. But like many stories of addiction, the path didn’t begin where anyone expected. What started with heavy drinking as a teenager eventually led her into the counterculture world of the Grateful Dead scene, where she became a devoted “Dead Head” and began experimenting more deeply with substances.Despite her growing substance use, Nicole pursued an ambitious path into medicine. While studying and preparing for a career as a physician, her drug use escalated—eventually leading to an addiction to powerful opiates. In a shocking turn, Nicole entered medical school already struggling with addiction. What began with prescription pills quickly progressed to Oxy 160s and ultimately to heroin. At one point, she was traveling to New Jersey to cop heroin while simultaneously trying to maintain the life of a future doctor.In one of the most gripping parts of the conversation, Nicole opens up about injecting heroin while attending medical school and somehow still managing to graduate. She candidly describes the moment she admitted to her school that she was addicted, the painful cycle of detox and relapse, and the crushing weight of living a double life as a doctor battling heroin addiction.But Nicole’s story doesn’t end there.After hitting bottom, she eventually found recovery—and today she has 17 years of documented sobriety. Now a physician specializing in addiction medicine, she dedicates her life to helping others escape the same disease that nearly destroyed her.Nicole also shares how her journey brought her to Akron, Ohio—the birthplace of Alcoholics Anonymous—and how personal tragedy, including the loss of her husband after his struggles with addiction and incarceration, further shaped her mission.In this deeply honest conversation, Dr. Labor explains why addiction is truly a disease, how it works in the brain, and why people struggling with it deserve treatment, compassion, and understanding rather than shame.This is the story of a woman who shot heroin in medical school and still became a doctor—and who now uses that experience to save lives.A raw, eye-opening conversation about addiction, resilience, and the possibility of recovery no matter how far someone has fallen.

🔥 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, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcast

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📩 Email: [email protected]

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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 #changinglives

Born into chaos and addiction, McKayla Jodon’s story is one of survival, relapse, and ultimately redemption. In this powerful episode, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with McKayla as she opens up about growing up with a mother who had her at just 14 years old and how instability shaped her early life. What began as a seemingly normal childhood quickly spiraled as McKayla was introduced to drugs at a young age, eventually using heroin while still in high school—sometimes needing to get high just to make it through the school day.McKayla shares raw and shocking moments from her past: using drugs alongside her own mother and community, going through withdrawal in high school, overdosing more than 30 times—including three times in a single day—and the dangerous cycle of addiction that followed her into adulthood. From adolescent treatment centers and Suboxone dependence to alcoholism, homelessness, and jail after a relapse, McKayla’s life became a relentless battle with substance abuse.But this story doesn’t end in darkness. After hitting devastating lows, losing loved ones, and experiencing moments she believes were nothing short of divine intervention, McKayla began rebuilding her life. Now two years sober, she reflects on the turning points that changed everything, the role faith played in her recovery, and how she’s learning to live a new life free from addiction.This is a brutally honest conversation about generational addiction, survival, relapse, and the power of finding hope when everything seems lost.

🔥 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, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcast
For Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:
📩 Email: [email protected]👇 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 #changinglives

Shakura Slaughter joins hosts Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes for one of the rawest, most powerful conversations ever featured on the show. Raised in deep poverty and surrounded by violence from the beginning, Shakura opens up about how her childhood environment shaped her worldview long before she ever had a chance to shape it herself. From the earliest moments of her life, she was already fighting battles most adults never have to face.In this episode, Shakura speaks candidly about surviving sexual assault by a family member while every adult around her looked the other way, the family dysfunction that spiraled around her, and the pain of watching her sister go through her own trauma. She shares what it was like having a father in and out of jail and the moment she called the police on her uncle at just eleven years old—an act of courage that would permanently alter her sense of safety, responsibility, and independence.Shakura also dives into the realities of becoming a mother at an incredibly young age—pregnant at 13, giving birth to her first son at 14, and her second by 16. She explains how these life-changing events forced her to grow up fast, make impossible decisions, and navigate a world that provided little support and even less compassion. Her story is not just about survival but about the internal battles that come with breaking generational cycles.Finally, Shakura opens up about finding recovery, rebuilding her life, and learning to navigate a healing journey that’s messy, imperfect, and ongoing. She shares the practical tools, mindset shifts, and hard lessons that helped her rise from trauma to purpose. Her message to the audience is powerful, honest, and deeply human—reminding everyone listening that no matter where you start, you can rewrite your story.
🔥 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, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 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 #changinglives

In this powerful episode, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Aysha Clever for a raw and deeply moving conversation about trauma, addiction, loss, and redemption.Aysha opens up about a childhood shaped by domestic violence and instability — a home where fear was normal and survival came before everything else. Growing up in chaos left scars that followed her into adolescence, and like so many who carry unresolved pain, she found herself turning to drugs at a young age. What began as an escape quickly became a battle for her life.As addiction tightened its grip, Aysha watched the unthinkable happen over and over again. Friends she grew up with. People she used with. People she loved. One by one, she saw them fall to the disease of addiction. Funerals became familiar. Grief became routine. And survivor’s guilt became heavy.But Aysha’s story doesn’t end in tragedy.Today, she stands on the other side of the darkness — not just sober, but transformed. Instead of being another statistic, she made the decision to fight back. Now, Aysha dedicates her life to helping others who are trapped in the same cycle she once lived in. She speaks hope into the hopeless, strength into the broken, and reminds people that their past does not have to define their future.This episode is about more than addiction — it’s about generational trauma, resilience, and what it truly means to heal. Aysha’s honesty is powerful, her courage undeniable, and her mission inspiring.If you or someone you love is struggling, this conversation is proof that recovery is possible — and that even after witnessing so much loss, you can still choose to become a light for others.Don’t miss this unforgettable episode.
🔥 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, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 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 #changinglives

In this powerful episode, Louis and Aaron sit down with Dominic G., a man whose story is soaked in generational addiction, loss, and ultimately redemption. Alcoholism ran deep in Dominic’s bloodline, taking loved ones and shaping the chaos of his childhood long before he ever picked up a substance himself.Dominic reflects on surviving a devastating car wreck with his father — a moment that could have changed everything, but instead became another chapter in a turbulent upbringing. He shares the unimaginable reality of his own mother offering heroin to him and his sister, normalizing addiction inside the very walls meant to protect him.What follows is a spiral into crime and consequences. Dominic talks about his first time in jail after stealing three AR-15s, a decision fueled by addiction and desperation. But nothing compares to the day he found his father dead — gone for nearly a week — a traumatic discovery that sent him even deeper into darkness.Homeless in Dayton, Dominic describes sleeping wherever he could, chasing the next high just to avoid the crushing weight of reality. Bad dope eventually landed him in a mental hospital, where paranoia and psychosis blurred the line between survival and surrender. He recounts waking up after an overdose — another brush with death that still wasn’t enough to stop him. At his worst, he was using a gram of fentanyl just to wake up and function.But this episode isn’t just about rock bottom.Dominic shares a turning point: receiving a care package from a complete stranger — a small act of kindness that pierced through years of hopelessness. We hear about the long road into treatment, the fight for recovery, and what it takes to break generational curses that feel almost written into your DNA.This is a raw, unfiltered conversation about family trauma, fentanyl addiction, homelessness, and the moment someone decides the🔥 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, iHeart Radio links, a more on our Link Tree below!Get a Grip Social Media Links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/officialgetagrippodcastFor Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected]👇 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 #changinglives