How Prescription Painkillers Led Me to Heroin, Speedballs & Robbing Houses

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Carrie Ann for a raw and eye-opening conversation about opioid addiction, heroin, crime, motherhood, and the difficult road to recovery. Carrie Ann’s story reveals just how quickly prescription painkillers can take over someone’s life and how far addiction can push a person when getting high becomes the only thing that matters. Carrie Ann opens up about growing up with an alcoholic father and how her life began to change after leaving a healthy relationship and getting involved with someone she describes as the “bad boy.” Her introduction to opiates eventually turned into a serious addiction, made even more complicated when she was prescribed Lortab and Percocet for severe period cramps. What started with prescription medication quickly spiraled out of control. As her addiction progressed, Carrie Ann began stealing money from work, including taking insurance copays to support her daily pill habit. After losing her job and cashing out her 401(k), she moved from prescription painkillers to heroin and eventually began injecting drugs. She also shares how she was introduced to speedballing and just how dangerous and chaotic her addiction became. Her story takes an even darker turn as she describes the crimes she committed to support her habit, including burglarizing a woman's home, getting followed by police, and being caught at GameStop. After spending a night in the Pike County Jail and facing a felony burglary charge, Carrie Ann went right back to using. She also opens up about robbing a store while under the influence of Xanax and the destructive decisions that continued to follow her. Carrie Ann eventually became pregnant and managed to stay clean throughout her pregnancy, but the battle with addiction was far from over. One of the most difficult moments came when her daughter discovered that she was getting high. That experience became part of a much bigger turning point, as Carrie Ann began to recognize what addiction had taken from her and what she needed to do to change. Today, Carrie Ann shares what finally started clicking, what recovery looks like in her life, and the lessons she hopes others can take from her experiences. This is an honest conversation about the consequences of addiction, the impact it has on families, and the possibility of finding a way out even after years of destructive choices. ⏱ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 – Title of First Chapter 1:00 – Growing Up With an Alcoholic Father 7:00 – Leaving the Good Guy for the “Bad Boy” & Getting Introduced to Opiates 10:00 – Relationship Falling Apart 12:00 – Getting Prescribed Lortab & Prcocets for Period Cramps 17:00 – Addiction Takes Over: Stealing Money From Work 19:00 – Stealing Copays & What Her Daily Prcocet Use Looked Like 23:00 – Losing Her Job & Cashing Out Her 401(k) 25:00 – Progressing to Hroin & Eventually Using a Needle 29:00 – Getting Introduced to Speedballing & How Bad Her Addiction Got 31:00 – Arrested for Robbing a Woman's House 35:00 – Followed by Police & Caught at GameStop 37:00 – Spending a Night in Pike County Jail & Facing a Felony Burglary Charge 47:00 – Robbing a Store While High on Xnax 52:00 – Getting Pregnant & Staying Clean Throughout Pregnancy 57:00 – Her Daughter Discovers She's Using Again 1:03:00 – Finally Finding Recovery & What Life Looks Like Today 1:09:30 – Advice for Anyone Struggling With Addiction 🔥 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/officialgetagrippod... 👇 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