Episode
Finding Heroin in Jersey Had Me Nodding in My Mom’s Mashed Potatoes | Ep 152
- Podcast
- Get a Grip Podcast
- Published
- Apr 15, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 5519
- Processing state
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Summary
In this gripping episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Rob Schilder for a raw, unfiltered conversation that traces the full arc of addiction—from early pain to full-blown chaos.Rob opens up about his childhood, shaped heavily by his father’s battle with cancer, and how that emotional weight followed him into his teenage years. What started as experimenting with drugs and alcohol in high school quickly escalated, leading to his first arrest at just 16—and another only nine days later. The pattern didn’t stop there. Even in college, Rob found himself in trouble again, drifting further from stability as he moved off campus and deeper into a dangerous lifestyle.Everything changed when he found heroin.What follows are some of the most intense and unforgettable moments of the episode—driving through New Jersey chasing bags, nodding out at family dinners, and witnessing firsthand what the East Coast heroin scene really looked like. Rob recounts being stuck in a hurricane while using, ending up dopesick in the ER, and the surreal moment he was given Xanax “by the grace of God.” His first detox experience—without power in the aftermath of the storm—paints a brutal picture of withdrawal and desperation.The chaos only escalates. From boosting TVs out of Walmart and trading them to dealers, to acting as a middleman in the Jersey drug scene, Rob breaks down the economics and insanity of addiction. He dives into the differences between heroin and crack, how quickly things spiraled, and the moment he entered treatment—only to face a deeply traumatic and manipulative experience involving a fake letter that pushed him over the edge.Rob doesn’t hold back as he shares the darker, more personal moments: blacking out in rage inside a treatment center, ex…