Yesterday, I saw the most inspiring of posts on Facebook, one from Jamie Edwards of Bangor, North Wales. I’ve met Jamie a few times when visiting North Wales Recovery Communities (NWRC). Jamie is very grateful to NWRC and Penrhyn House for helping him on his recovery journey. He is a successful boxer and the photo above shows him with his lovely wife Tara and a group of NWRC members who attended one of his fights. Here is Jamie’s post ‘3 YEARS OUT OF PRISON TODAY – 3 YEARS OF FREEDOM!’
‘Today marks 3 years since I last walked out of those prison gates.
To some people, 3 years might not sound like a long time, but to me, it’s absolutely MASSIVE.
I spent around 70% of my 20s behind bars, as well as part of my teenage years in young offenders institutions. Prison wasn’t just somewhere I went. For a long time, it was a massive part of who I was.
And this might sound strange to some people, but there was a time when I genuinely felt more comfortable in prison than I did on the outside.
Life was easier to manage in there. My addiction was easier to control, my responsibilities were taken away from me, and I didn’t have to face the pressures of everyday life. I always struggled with responsibility, and looking back now, I genuinely believe I had become institutionalised.
But the sad thing is, I was never happy.
When I was in prison, all I wanted was to get out. And when I was out, part of me wanted to go straight back in.
I couldn’t find peace anywhere.
Drugs had completely taken over my life. I was trapped in a cycle of addiction, violence, prison and self-destruction, and I couldn’t see a way out of it.
Sometimes I look back at the person I used to be, and it honestly doesn’t even feel real.
The things I used to do, the way I behaved, the way I treated people, the decisions I made. It’s hard to believe that person was me.
I’ve done a lot of bad in my life. I’ve hurt a lot of people, including people who loved me, because I was so unhappy with myself and the life I was living.
I’m not proud of those things, and I’ll never pretend they didn’t happen. I can’t go back and change my past, and I know doing good today doesn’t erase the hurt I’ve caused.
But what I CAN do is make sure the man I am today is nothing like the man I used to be.
I try to live the best life I possibly can. I try to help as many people as I can, whether that’s through boxing, recovery, mental health or simply being there for someone who’s struggling.
I always say that I’m trying to tip those scales. For all the bad I’ve put into this world, I want to spend the rest of my life putting as much good back into it as I possibly can.
Not because I expect forgiveness or recognition, but because I genuinely want to be a better man.
And one thing I will NEVER forget is that I’m only ever ONE BAD DECISION AWAY from potentially losing everything I’ve worked so hard to build.
That thought is always at the front of my mind. I know where I’ve come from, I know what I’m capable of when I’m living that life, and I know how quickly everything can fall apart if I stop doing the right things.
Today, though, my life couldn’t be more different.
I have a beautiful wife who has stood beside me through so much. I have children who give my life a purpose I never thought I’d have. I have family and friends who love me, support me and believe in me.
I get to wake up in my own home, go to work, coach boxing, help people, be a husband, be a dad and actually LIVE.
Things that might seem completely normal to most people are things I once thought I’d never have.
I spent so many years existing, but never really living.
And now, for the first time in my life, I can genuinely say I’ve found some peace.
I don’t know where I’d be today without my wife, my children, my family and the friends who’ve stood by me. I’ll never be able to thank them enough.
And what makes today even more special is that I get to share this milestone with my beautiful stepdaughter’s 14th birthday. 
A day that marks 3 years of my freedom is also a day we get to celebrate her life. That means more to me than words can explain.
If there’s one thing I want people to take from this post, it’s this:
THERE IS LIFE AFTER PRISON. THERE IS LIFE AFTER ADDICTION. AND YOUR PAST DOES NOT HAVE TO BE YOUR FUTURE.
But you’ve got to WANT it.
You’ve got to put the graft in. You’ve got to take responsibility for your actions, face the things you’ve spent your whole life running away from, and be willing to change everything about the way you live.
I genuinely believe that sometimes you’ve got to suffer enough in that life before you’re truly ready to leave it behind.
I know I did.
I lost years of my life that I’ll never get back. I missed birthdays, Christmases, family moments and memories that should have been made on the outside.
But I refuse to lose another day of my life to that old version of me.
I’m not perfect. I still make mistakes. I’ve still got a lot to learn, and I’ll always be a work in progress.
But I’m present. I’m responsible. I’m clean. I’m free. And most importantly, I’m HAPPY.
3 YEARS OUT OF PRISON.
2 PLUS YEARS IN RECOVERY. 
A LIFETIME OF MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME.
For anyone who’s still stuck in that cycle, please believe me when I say there’s another way to live.
If someone like me can turn their life around, there’s hope for anyone willing to put the work in.
I used to count down the days until I got out of prison. Now I’m making every day outside count.
WE DO RECOVER. 
‘
Amazing Share, Jamie. Well done, mate! You are awesome!!