Runningstories #18

10 September 2026

Recovery is a journey of learning, growth and self-discovery

Jamie Devine is the author of Breaking The Old Self – www.breakingtheoldself.com, a website dedicated to explore recovery from his own lived experience of addiction. Jamie says that real recovery started when he stopped asking himself ‘What’s wrong with me?’ and started instead asking, ‘What happened, what did I learn, and what can I become?’. In this conversation with Paolo Maccagno – CEO Runforever, Jamie shares how he thinks of recovery not just as simply stopping drugs but as understanding oneself well enough that you no longer need to escape life. Recovery is for him, a journey of learning, growth and self-discovery rather than simply avoiding relapse.

0:00 Runningstories show trailer

00:10 Jamie’s perspective on recovery.

03:10 The importance of awareness and the shift between asking ‘What’s wrong with me?’ and started instead asking, ‘What happened, what did I learn, and what can I become? This means stop assuming “we are broken”

12:35 The knowledge I needed is about myself. You need to plant the seeds and let them grow without expecting immediate results. The fact we are now in touch is a big unexpected result that we couldn’t predict (15:50)

18:10 Addiction is not just alcohol and drugs. There is a deeper dependency from relief.

23:10 The importance of creativity and imagination in recovery. Jamie’s work is artistic and imaginative in the path of becoming different

30:30 How do you build bridges with the outside through Runforever work?

36:20 The importance of feeling uncomfortable and face the death of the old self.

38:20 Feldenkrais practice of interlacing the fingers of the hands in the unhabitual way

41:05 About the comfort zone. Prison can feel comfortable

43:55 Is reoffending addiction?

45:35 Peace can feel uncomfortable when you are used to chaos. Therefore the importance of helping in the transition.