Ronnie O'Sullivan 'lost himself' to alcohol and drugs for seven years

Ronnie O'Sullivan turned nonrecreational aged 16 successful 1992

Ronnie O'Sullivan has said helium "lost himself" for 7 years to intoxicant and drugs, and came to larn that "happiness is an wrong job".

He was stripped of the Irish Masters rubric successful 1998 aft investigating affirmative for cannabis, and successful 2000 entered rehab to dainty his addictions.

"There are monolithic gaps," the 47-year-old told BBC Radio 4 Today.

"I mislaid six, 7 years to drinking and taking cannabis. Then 4 years of dealing with worldly distant from the array which I didn't woody with precise well.

"I wasn't focusing connected snooker. But I accidental everyone has those problems, but there's 10 years determination wherever I didn't truly bash much. I didn't practise much, I didn't person the headspace to win."

World fig 1 O'Sullivan won his seventh satellite rubric successful 2022 but was knocked retired successful the quarter-finals of this year's tourney by eventual champion Luca Brecel.

During his lowest points, O'Sullivan - whose parents were sent to situation during his teenage years - said helium relied connected intoxicant and cannabis to "get done the day".

"I mislaid my property and assurance and needed to instrumentality substances conscionable to consciousness similar I could socialise," said O'Sullivan, whose latest publication Unbreakable was released connected Thursday.

"Then you get clean, and you go awkward successful societal situations and you deliberation 'how bash I woody with these situations?' You get a spot anxious and it started to impact maine successful definite ways. How bash I unrecorded clean?

"It was weird - I had to larn to bash each that worldly again. It took clip but erstwhile I got there, I realised you person to carve retired a antithetic beingness for yourself. Maybe I'm not suited for X, Y and Z.

"My blessed spot is going moving successful the greeting and I spell retired with my moving friends, and I'm chill with that. Put maine successful an situation wherever there's tons of radical and I tally for the corner."

In 2013, O'Sullivan - who turned nonrecreational astatine the property of 16 - said helium feared being caught by cause testers and "pushed his luck" betwixt tournaments aboriginal successful his career.

He present sees snooker arsenic "great escapism", with snooker halls the spot helium goes to "feel relaxed and calm".

"I ever loved my athletics and that's what's astir important to me. That strips distant immoderate temptations of going out," helium said.

"I deliberation going to rehab taught maine happiness is an wrong job, which I genuinely believe. So since that infinitesimal successful 2000, I've ever believed that."

If you person been affected by the issues raised successful this article, assistance and enactment is disposable via BBC Action Line.

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