How I Started Smoking PCP at 12, Became a Heroin Addict, and Lost Everything | Ep 211

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Aaron Garnes sits down with Dave Marcus for an intense and unbelievable conversation about growing up with drug-addicted parents, being exposed to drugs from an early age, dealing drugs, heroin addiction, homelessness, psychosis, jail, and ultimately finding a reason to change his life.

Dave opens up about growing up in a household surrounded by addiction. His father was an amphetamine chemist, meaning drugs were a part of Dave's environment from a very young age. By just 12 years old, Dave was smoking PCP, and his substance use would continue to escalate as he got older.

After being expelled from multiple schools, Dave was introduced to Percocet and OxyContin. Before long, he found himself learning the street economy—dealing drugs on corners and even driving prostitutes around to make money and support his lifestyle.

Eventually, Dave became hooked on heroin.

His addiction would cost him almost everything. Dave talks about losing his daughter's mother and his daughter, eventually finding himself living out of his car and struggling to survive.

Dave also shares one of the darkest and most chaotic periods of his addiction, including a terrifying episode of psychosis while shooting speedballs and experimenting with dangerous ways of using drugs. His behavior became increasingly unpredictable as his addiction spiraled further out of control.

Even family became involved in the chaos. Dave describes participating in grocery store scams with his mother and aunt, eventually watching his mother get arrested as a result of one of those schemes. He also opens up about his experiences in jail and what those moments taught him.

Eventually, Dave began taking steps toward a different life. He went through detox, started attending meetings, and began looking for something beyond the cycle of drugs and survival.

Today, Dave is working on developing a book and a game while reflecting on the experiences that shaped him. He explains the moment his perspective began to change and what ultimately helped him see that there could be something more waiting for him on the other side of addiction.

This is a raw and unfiltered story about childhood trauma, addiction, heroin, homelessness, family, crime, psychosis, incarceration, recovery, and the power of changing your perspective.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, you are not alone. Recovery is possible.