In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Zach Henry for an intense and deeply honest conversation about addiction, trauma, fentanyl, xylazine, family, and the devastating consequences of losing control.
Zach grew up with alcoholic parents and was exposed to substance abuse and chaos at an early age. At just 14 years old, he was prescribed Xanax by a doctor, setting him on a path that would eventually lead to selling cocaine, abusing opioids, and eventually using fentanyl.
Zach opens up about the early days of his addiction, including how his opiate use began, the ways his addiction quickly escalated, and how much money he and others were stealing from their parents to fuel their habits. He talks about fentanyl being cut with "Rizzi," his transition into xylazine, and just how dangerous the drug supply became.
As his addiction progressed, Zach's life began to completely unravel. His girlfriend and children left, and he describes how he essentially burned his life to the ground. He talks about going to Florida, how badly he was using, getting a DUI in someone else's car, and the havoc his addiction created.
Zach also gets brutally honest about the first time he injected fentanyl and the devastating lows that followed. He discusses the emergence of xylazine, the different ways it was being used, "butt dope" and "chicken dope," and eventually being arrested after repeatedly passing out.
Things continued to spiral as Zach progressed to smoking fentanyl and using methamphetamine. Eventually, his addiction reached a point where something had to change.
But this story doesn't end there.
Zach talks about where he is today, how he and his family are making things work, and the things he does every day to maintain his sobriety. He also discusses the growing dangers of "tranq"—xylazine—and the brutal withdrawal that can come with it.
This is a raw look at how quickly addiction can take everything from someone—and what it takes to start putting the pieces back together.
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, you are not alone. Recovery is possible.
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