Josh Garcia - The Devine Salerno Podcast No. 20

Josh Garcia - The Devine Salerno Podcast No. 20 In this deeply honest episode, Devine sits down with Josh Garcia — Marine veteran, cancer survivor, and a man who turned a decade of active addiction and criminal behavior into a powerful recovery journey. Josh enlisted in the Marines in 2006, faced personal struggles after returning home, and eventually battled addiction until getting clean in April 2024. Today, he lives in Denver with his fiancée and works in behavioral health, giving back to the community. Josh opens up about losing his mom young in a car accident, growing up in a blended Hispanic family, not fitting in, and turning to anger, violence, and substances to cope. He shares the raw moments of rock bottom — including an intentional overdose attempt — Marine life, marriage challenges, a cancer diagnosis in 2022, and what finally made this time in recovery different: humility, surrender, and learning to respond instead of react. From processing emotions, rebuilding family relationships, to finding purpose in service and behavioral health work, this conversation is full of vulnerability, resilience, and real tools for anyone walking through trauma, loss, or addiction. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro & Welcome to Episode 20 01:43 - Josh's Current Life in Denver & Recovery Mindset 04:00 - Introducing Himself: Marine Background & Early Life 07:30 - Losing His Mom at a Young Age & Family Impact 12:15 - Blended Family Dynamics & Feeling Like He Didn't Fit In 17:40 - Anger, Fighting & Early Emotional Struggles 23:20 - Enlisting in the Marines in 2006 28:50 - Post-Service Life, Marriage & Slide into Addiction 34:10 - Criminal Behavior, Rock Bottom & Overdose Attempt 39:45 - Cancer Diagnosis in 2022 & Major Wake-Up Call 45:30 - Getting Clean April 22nd, 2024 – What Made It Stick 52:00 - Humility, Surrender & Learning to Respond vs React 58:20 - Working in Behavioral Health & Giving Back 1:04:45 - Rebuilding Relationships & Processing Emotions 1:11:30 - Advice for Veterans, Those in Recovery & Dads 1:18:50 - Future Vision, Purpose & Words of Hope 1:26:40 - Closing Thoughts & Gratitude 1:31:15 - Outro 👉Connect with Josh: Johncupich@empowerrecoveryhomes.com 👉 Follow Devine: Snapchat: / devinesalerno Instagram: / thedevinesalerno TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/thedevinesalerno/ Facebook: / thedevinesalernopodcast X: https://www.x.com/westdevine4tay/ thedevinesalernopodcast.com 👉 Follow Ledger Media Company: TikTok: @ledgermediacompany Instagram: @ledgermediacompany ledgermediacompany.com 👉 Follow Gold Standard Recovery: Search “Gold Standard Recovery” or visit goldstandarddenver.com 👉 Support Empower Recovery Homes: IG: @empowerrecoveryhomes empowerrecoveryhomes.com Episode Recorded May 22nd, 2026 All Rights Reserved - Ledger Media Company | The Devine Salerno Podcast Search “Josh Garcia - The Devine Salerno Podcast” on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms! If these stories of transformation resonate, like, comment, and subscribe — we're building a community around accountability and redemption. #Recovery #VeteranRecovery #MarineVeteran #CancerSurvivor #Sobriety #RedemptionStory #TheDevineSalernoPodcast #BehavioralHealth