One word a man said to himself before it changed his life forever

On October 24, 2024By Yukito

Mark Christopherson changed his life over a year ago

Mark Christopherson has now been sober for almost two years

Looking at himself in the mirror in his hallway, Mark Christopherson knew he had to make a change. The 39-year-old from Allerton uttered one word “s***” to himself before he finally decided to pursue sobriety.

It’s been 18 months since that day, and sitting across from me at the LCVS on Dale Street, a few days after launching a new LGBTQ+ support group for addicts, Mark tells me he’s a completely different person – unrecognizable, he says.

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He told the ECHO: “I still have bad days. Ups and downs, but I’m more balanced. This was the final end for me. Sometimes I felt like I had lost everything. I don’t remember much about this period in my life, but I know that my mom and dad never turned their back on me. They never blamed me and I would be dead if it weren’t for them. Sometimes it was life or death. “

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This day came after years of alcohol abuse by Mark. He remembers that he was always drinking, at least socially, but it soon began to affect his entire life.

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Mark, who now lives in Dingle, cites his previous role in a retail management role as a significant factor in why he continued to drink. He said he had encountered homophobia and remembered being called offensive slurs in office meetings. Mark said he wanted to “lock himself out and not think about it,” but when he wakes up with a hangover, he drinks again and the vicious cycle continues.

He said: “My mates always said I liked bevvy, there’s no denying it. But then it got to the point where it was affecting everything: my family, my friends, my relationships and my work.

Mark Christopherson now wants to help others who find themselves in the same situation he has been in for years

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“I was drinking all the time. I couldn’t not drink. It held me tight and it felt like something was passing through my body and brain. This period of my life didn’t feel real; it wasn’t me and I wasn’t the same person. When it was bad, it happened for about four years, drinking six bottles of wine a day.

“I drank one when I got up in the morning before work, one at lunch, one on the way home and even more when I finally got home.”

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Mark, who suffers from epilepsy, claims that constant drinking only made his attacks worse. Due to his addiction and health condition, he was hospitalized several times over the course of several months. He also said that he was anxious and depressed – two problems he struggles with to this day, but admits that they are no longer as much of a burden as before.

He added: “The drink is everywhere and can be triggering. It’s plastered on the sides of buses and there are posters everywhere, so it was hard for me to see it all the time. I was getting worse and worse. Things were exciting and I couldn’t keep up.

The Brink hosts group therapy sessions and weekly recreational groups

The Brink is a recovery service for addicts(Picture: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)

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Mark took the first step towards recovery by attending the Hope Center on Smithdown Road. He then spent 18 weeks at Rise drug rehabilitation center in south Liverpool.

Now in a position to help others, Mark is launching Pride in Recovery with Liverpool’s oldest LGBTQ+ charity, Sahir. Residential sessions are held at The Brink on Parr Street on the last Friday of each month.

The volunteer said: “I know that if a drop of alcohol touched my lips, I would relapse. That’s why these spaces are so important. They take place on payday, when people feel like going back to old habits or getting out of the house – this event gives them something to do and something to focus on.