Mark Christopherson turned his life around over a year ago
Mark Christopherson turned his life around over a year ago
Staring at himself in the mirror in his hall, Mark Christopherson knew he needed to make a change. The 39-year-old, from Allerton, uttered one word to himself, ‘s***’, before finally committing to his sobriety journey.
It’s been 18 months since that day, and sitting across from me in Dale Street’s LCVS, days away from launching a new LGBTQ+ support group for addicts, Mark tells me he is a completely different person – unrecognisable, he insists.
He told the ECHO: “I still have my bad days. Ups and downs, but I am more levelled out. It was the be-all and end-all for me. At times, it felt like I lost everything. I don’t remember much from that time in my life but I know my mum and dad never turned away from me. They never faulted me, and I’d be dead if it weren’t for them two. It was life or death at times.”
READ MORE: New Benidorm-themed bar opens in Liverpool with £1 pintsREAD MORE: Warning to anyone living with dementia and their carers
The day in question came after years of alcohol abuse for Mark. He recalled always being a drinker, at least sociably, but it quickly became to the point where it was affecting his whole life.
Mark, who now lives in Dingle, cites his previous senior role in the retail industry as a massive contributing factor to why he would continue to drink. He said he faced homophobia and remembers being called derogatory slurs at office meetings. Mark said he wanted to “block out and not think about it”, but when he woke up hungover, he would drink again, and so the vicious cycle continued.
He said: “My mates would always say I liked a bevvy, there was no denying that. But then, it got to the point where it was impacting everything: my family, friends, my relationships and my work.
“I was drinking all the time. I couldn’t not drink. It had a tight hold on me, and it felt like something had come over my body and my brain. That time in my life didn’t feel real; it wasn’t me, and I wasn’t the same person. When it was bad, it happened for around four years, drinking six bottles of wine a day.
“I would have one when I got up in the morning before work, one during lunch, one on the way home, and more when I eventually got home.”
Where to get help for problems with alcohol
If you are suffering from problems with alcohol, there are many helplines which may be able to support you.
Talk to FRANK
You can ring FRANK anytime and speak to a friendly adviser who is professionally trained to give you straight up, unbiased information about drugs and alcohol.
It’s totally confidential – FRANK won’t ask for your name or repeat your conversation with others.
Freephone: 0300 123 6600
talktofrank.com
Drinkline
Drinkline offers advice and information for people worried about their own drinking, and support to the family and friends of people who are drinking.
Helpline: 0300 123 1110
Mark, who is epileptic, said drinking constantly only made his seizures worse. As a result of his addiction and condition, he was hospitalised on several occasions in a matter of months. He also said he was anxious and depressed – two struggles he still has to this day but admits aren’t as heavy a burden as previously.
He added: “Drink is everywhere, and it can be triggering. It’s plastered on the side of the buses, and posters are everywhere, so it was difficult for me to see it all the time. It just got worse and worse for me. Things were exciting, and I couldn’t keep up with it.”
Mark took his first step towards recovery by attending Smithdown Road’s Hope Centre. Following this, he spent 18 weeks at residential rehab, Rise, in South Liverpool.
Now, in a position to help others, Mark is launching Pride in Recovery with Liverpool’s oldest LGBTQ+ charity, Sahir. The drop-in sessions take place at The Brink on Parr Street on the last Friday of every month.
The volunteer said: “I know that if a drop of alcohol touched my lips, I would be back into addiction again. This is why these spaces are so important. They are taking place on payday when people are tempted to fall back into old ways or tempted to go out – this event gives them something to do and something to focus their mind on.”