In this episode, John Ross sits down with Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes to share his story with honesty, perspective, and hard-earned clarity. John walks through his early exposure to drugs and alcohol, growing up around addiction, and the choices that led him to drinking heavily by 14 and experimenting with substances at a young age. He reflects on his first experiences with Xanax and the blackout fueled by rage that became a turning point in his life. The conversation explores his first arrest, time spent in county jail, relapse, and the cycle of consequences that followed. John also opens up about rebuilding, navigating probation, confronting a gambling addiction that left him over $100,000 in debt, and learning from the losses. This episode isn’t just about how things fell apart—it’s about accountability, survival, and the awareness that comes from hitting bottom and choosing a different direction.🎧 Time Stamps00:01:30 – Introduction to Ritalin00:03:30 – Doing Adderall at a young age00:05:00 – Growing up with a mother smoking crack00:07:30 – First time smoking weed00:11:30 – Drinking alcohol at 1400:12:30 – Passing out drunk in the snow at 1400:14:00 – First introduction to Xanax00:17:00 – Doing Suboxone before church00:20:15 – First arrest00:23:00 – Robbing a man with a wad of cash (first felony)00:28:00 – Xanax blackout00:29:00 – Flashes of rage (HOOK)00:38:00 – What county jail is really like (ends ~42:00 )00:49:30 – Cheeking meds for ramen (Louis closing blinds)00:55:00 – Going back to jail00:59:30 – Relapse and working with his P.O.01:02:00 – Gambling addiction: making money, then losing it all01:06:00 – $100,000 in debt at Hollywood Casino01:09:30 – Wrapping up🔥 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👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.