A 30-YEAR-OLD Chippenham man battling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after being brutally attacked with metal bars says taking up boxing is helping him turn his life around.

Jamie Cross believed he had ‘a perfect life’ – with a new house, a child on the way and a promotion at work – before he became the victim of an unprovoked attack in Trowbridge in April, 2015.

As well as being knocked unconscious and left with a fractured jaw, damaged cheekbone and broken eye socket, Mr Cross was also left psychologically scarred and eventually diagnosed with PTSD.

“I didn’t know what had happened, the only thing I can remember is walking home and I thought that I was dying and I was trying to get the blood back in my head,” said Mr Cross.

“I used to wake up shaking and I was having panic attacks at work. I didn’t understand it but I realised it was a daily thing. When I was diagnosed I was quite surprised, I don’t know if it was arrogance but I felt pretty head strong and body strong,” he said. “I started trying to hide from it and I was eaten up by it.”

PTSD is an anxiety disorder caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events and symptoms can include nightmares and flashbacks.

After being diagnosed, Mr Cross’s life spiralled out of control as he struggled with the condition and eventually it cost him his family, job and home.

While homeless, he contacted the Emeralds Boxing Club on Audley Road, Chippenham about attending the gym and finding a way ‘back from the brink’.

“I became obsessed with boxing the day after the attack, I wanted to feel like I’m fighting back,” said Mr Cross, who .“I sent a message to them on Facebook to see if a might be able to come and have a look.“I was obsessed with the idea of fighting and they said if that’s something you really want to do we can do that.”Mr Cross took part in his first bout last month as part of an evening organised by Emeralds Boxing Club to raise awareness about PTSD.

Head coach at Emeralds Boxing Club, Liam Lathbury, said: “We take all sorts of characters in the boxing gym and we try and be a family away from home for them. We’re trying to be a community based gym and we want to work with the whole of the community. It’s something I feel quite strongly about as everyone gets dealt different cards.”

And despite losing to his opponent, Mr Cross is determined to keep practicing and use boxing to help battle the PTSD and turn his life around as well as inspiring others.

“I didn’t know if I was going to be able to go through with it, even leaving my flat is a real challenge,” he said.

“But I wanted to prove to myself, the doctor and anyone else that I could do it.

“Some people think I sound nuts but I want to make a career out of boxing.”