Ronnie O’Sullivan has stated he “lost himself” for seven years to alcohol and medicine, and got here to be told that “happiness is an inside job”.
The seven-time global champion has had well-documented problems with drink, medicine and despair.
He used to be stripped of the Irish Masters name in 1998 then checking out certain for hashish, and in 2000 entered rehab to regard his addictions.
“There are massive gaps,” the 47-year-old advised BBC Radio 4 Today.
“I lost six, seven years to drinking and taking cannabis. Then four years of dealing with stuff away from the table which I didn’t deal with very well.
“I wasn’t that specialize in snooker. However I guess everybody has the ones issues, however there’s 10 years there the place I didn’t actually do a lot. I didn’t practise a lot, I didn’t have the headspace to win.”
World number one O’Sullivan won his seventh world title in 2022 but was knocked out in the quarter-finals of this year’s tournament by eventual champion Luca Brecel.
During his lowest points, O’Sullivan – whose parents were sent to prison during his teenage years – said he relied on alcohol and cannabis to “get in the course of the time”.
“I misplaced my character and self assurance and had to pull ingredients simply to really feel like I may socialise,” said O’Sullivan, whose latest book Unbreakable was released on Thursday.
“Upcoming you get blank, and also you grow to be awkward in social statuses and also you suppose ‘how do I offer with those statuses?’ You get somewhat fearful and it began to have an effect on me in sure tactics. How do I are living blank?
“It was weird – I had to learn to do all that stuff again. It took time but once I got there, I realised you have to carve out a different life for yourself. Maybe I’m not suited for X, Y and Z.
“My satisfied park goes working within the morning and I walk out with my working buddies, and I’m cool with that. Put me in an atmosphere the place there’s a whole lot of family and I run for the nook.”
In 2013, O’Sullivan – who turned professional at the age of 16 – said he feared being stuck through drug testers and “driven his good fortune” between tournaments early in his profession.
He now sees snooker as “superior escapism”, with snooker halls the place he goes to “really feel comfortable and quiet”.
“I at all times beloved my recreation and that’s what’s maximum noteceable to me. That strips away any temptations of going out,” he stated.
“I believe getting to rehab taught me happiness is an inside of task, which I really consider. So since that future in 2000, I’ve at all times thought that.”
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