About this episode

Nick Newman shares his journey from childhood addiction to military service and the challenges of recovery.

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Nick Newman for an incredible story that spans childhood addiction, the U.S. Army, combat deployments, prescription drugs, kratom, 7OH, and the long road toward recovery. Nick opens up about a childhood that quickly went off the rails. By third grade, he had already been suspended twice, and by the age of 10 he was smoking weed regularly. At just 12 years old, he tried crack for the first time. What followed was a teenage life filled with schemes, getting expelled from high school, breaking into cars, and stealing. Eventually, Nick joined the U.S. Army, but even basic training couldn't completely separate him from his addiction. He talks about getting high during basic training, deploying overseas, and what it was like arriving in Afghanistan and driving through Iraq as a young soldier. Nick spent eight years in the Army, including working around IEDs in Afghanistan. He shares the terrifying reality of his job, finding an IED and being ordered to leave it behind, witnessing drugs overseas, and dealing with the death of a fellow soldier. After returning home, Nick became a drill sergeant and…

People in this episode

Hosts: Louis Essig, Aaron Garnes

Guest: Nick Newman

Topics covered

• addiction
• military experience
• recovery
• personal struggle
• drug use
• childhood trauma

Keywords

• addiction
• U.S. Army
• kratom
• Ambien
• recovery
• childhood trauma
• combat
• drug use
• personal story

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: U.S. Army

Products: Ambien, kratom

Places: Afghanistan, Iraq

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• I Was Prescribed Xanax at 14… Then Fentanyl & Xylazine Destroyed My Life | Ep 207 · September 2, 2026 · 1h 16m
• I Was a Notre Dame Professor Smoking $800 of Crack Every Day | Ep 206 · August 30, 2026 · 1h 51m
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