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Get a Grip PodcastAuthor: Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes
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 healthmixing 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, its possible. Tune in for laughter, hope, and stories of transformation. Language: en Genres: Personal Journals, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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How I Lost 20 Years to Cr4ck Addiction | From Philly in the 80s to Prison & 3 Years Homeless | 131
Episode 131
Wednesday, 18 February, 2026
In this raw and unfiltered episode, Aaron and Louis sit down with Bob Frazier — a man who says rage fueled nearly every decision he made for decades. Growing up in Philadelphia, Bob witnessed brutal domestic violence at home and endured relentless beatings from his father. By 8 minutes into this conversation, he recounts the moment he finally “boxed” his dad in the living room — a turning point that hardened him and set the tone for a life driven by anger.By 16, Bob was already cooking cocaine. He breaks down the difference between crack and freebase and paints a vivid picture of what “Philly Crack in the 80’s” really looked like — the chaos, the money, and the destruction. After getting kicked out of the military, crack became both his escape and his identity. His first felony charge quickly snowballed into prison time in 1986, where he explains prison politics, why you make your bed tight, and how survival behind bars works.What follows is a whirlwind: inheriting his grandmother’s house and losing it… becoming homeless in his 20s… betrayal, heartbreak, hustling, stealing, and feeding an addiction that consumed two full decades of his life. From working with racehorses and making $2,700 a week to taking seven hits of acid in one night, Bob’s story swings between success and complete self-destruction. Drug tests, county jail, and eventually landing in the “bottoms” of Columbus led to three years of homelessness and seven more felonies.He shares how he slipped into malls through the side door of Lazarus from a homeless shelter to rob stores… waking up early to hustle… living in what he calls his “reckless abandonment era.”But at 1:40:00, something shifts.In 1999, Bob made the decision that saved his life — entering treatment after nearly 20 years lost to crack addiction. He opens up about what it was like reconnecting with family after two decades, the pain of imagining the roles reversed, and what real recovery actually looked like for him. The episode closes with reflection, humility, and the hard-earned wisdom behind the phrase: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”This is a story about rage, addiction, prison, homelessness, redemption — and the cost of losing twenty years to crack in the 80s and 90s.🔥 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: getagrippodcast614@gmail.com👇 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
