Life After Getting Kicked Out of the SEALs, OD'ing on Fentanyl & Trying to Commit Suicide by Volcano

Taylor Cavanaugh grew up in San Diego with drugs and alcohol in the house from early on. His father had substance problems and financial instability, and Taylor was eventually kicked out of high school for dealing ecstasy and somas. At 18, after getting mixed up in a stolen property situation, he checked into what turned out to be a lockdown psych ward in El Cajon — sharing a floor with old women with dementia and a Marine detoxing off heroin.He moved to Boston, where arrests and DUIs kept stacking up. The Marines turned him down. The Army turned him down. The SEALs took him. He completed training and made it into the teams — the one institution, he says, that ever gave him a real shot. The habits started slipping almost immediately. A teammate warned him in the parking lot one morning to slow down. He brushed it off. That same week, on a training trip, he was arrested on an aggravated assault charge.What followed unraveled fast — a federal charge, marshals trying to extradite him, a half-million-dollar lawsuit, and getting kicked out of the military entirely. In civilian life he moved into real estate and cannabis, and the substances escalated: Adderall, Xanax, and then fentanyl, which he sought out deliberately for its potency. He was ODing regularly, driving himself to the ER to get stitched up, and going straight to meetings — still managing a venture capital operation throughout.Homeless and suicidal, he found himself on the Big Island of Hawaii genuinely planning to jump into an active volcano. Thinking about his mother and sister — the mess he’d leave behind — he put the plan down. He flew to France and joined the French Foreign Legion, becoming the only person in history to serve as both a U.S. Navy SEAL and a French Foreign Legionnaire. He spent close to five years there, building discipline and a daily blueprint from the ground up.He came back to the U.S. about two years ago and launched TCAV Training, a coaching practice built on the premise that discipline — not just sobriety — is what actually changes a life.He’s the mentor who reached Matt Handy when Matt felt a relapse coming after three and a half years sober. Taylor’s prescription was simple: go to sleep, wake up early, do pushups, go to the gym, then call me. Matt never stopped.TAYLOR CAVANAUGH is the only person on earth to have served as both a United States Navy SEAL and a French Foreign Legionnaire. After years of arrests, addiction, and planning to jump into a volcano, he rebuilt his life through discipline and deliberate living. He now runs TCAV Training, coaching people on body, mind, and life transformation.Follow Taylor on Instagram @tcavofficialLearn more at taylorcavanaugh.comMatt Handy is the founder of Harmony Grove Behavioral Health in Houston, Texas, where their mission is to provide compassionate, evidence-based care for anyone facing addiction, mental health challenges, and co-occurring disorders.My Last Relapse explores what everyone is thinking but no one is saying about addiction and recovery through conversations with those whose lives have changed.For anyone disillusioned with traditional recovery and feeling left out, misunderstood, or weighed down by unrealistic expectations, this podcast looks ahead—rejecting the lies and dogma that keep people from imagining life without using.Got a question for us? Leave us a message or voicemail at mylastrelapse.comFollow Matt on Instagram @matthew.handy.17About Harmony Grove Behavioral HealthHarmony Grove delivers outpatient addiction and mental health treatment focused on wellness, creativity, and authentic human connection—providing a supportive space for healing that extends beyond traditional clinical care. Find out more at harmonygrovebh.comHarmony Grove’s IOP in Houston, Texas, is more than a program; it’s a lifeline for those ready to take the next step in their recovery. We are ready to meet you where you are and find your unique path to change.If you’re feeling overwhelmed or struggling, you don’t have to face it alone. Reaching out for support is a sign of strength, and help is always available. If you or anyone you know needs help, give us a call 24 hours a day at 844-430-3060.Host: Matthew HandyProducer: Eva SheieAssistant Producer: Mary Ellen ClarksonEngineering: Chris MannTheme music: Survive The Tide, Machina AeonCover Art: DMARK