Ronnie O’Sullivan blames snooker for forcing him to take pills to tackle depression and reveals he called Samaritans for help
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN has blamed snooker for forcing him to take pills to combat depression.
And the Rocket, 43, says the pressure to perform even led him to call the Samaritans for advice.
O’Sullivan has won five world titles and earned more than £10million in prize money.
Yet the world No 1 wishes he had never taken up snooker.
Speaking to the BBC’s Don’t Tell Me the Score podcast, O’Sullivan said: “It is a really hard sport.
“And if I had my time over again, I definitely wouldn’t choose snooker.
“A lot of people have said over the years, ‘He’s up and down, unstable’, but I’m not. I always call it snooker depression.
“Playing, competing and enjoying it wasn’t enough — I had to win.”
CALL TO THE SAMARITANS
O’Sullivan also revealed that he was prescribed antidepressants before the 2001 World Championship in Sheffield, his first title triumph at the Crucible, following panic attacks.
He said: “If I didn’t play snooker, I’d never have to take any medication ever.
“I was in my hotel room at the Hilton in Sheffield, I put the phone down after a radio interview and just lay on the bed and phoned the Samaritans.
“I’d had my best season ever — I won six out of 11 events. If you were to base success on external things, it was the most successful season any snooker player has had.
“Winning tournaments wasn’t solving problems and I thought, ‘Why am I feeling like this’?
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“I had episodes where I’d just disappear, I’d run off and people would think I was having a tantrum.”
O’Sullivan was rocked by a loss to amateur James Cahill in the first round at the Crucible in April and has threatened to quit the sport after several clashes with World Snooker chief Barry Hearn.
Describing the effect of antidepressants, O’Sullivan said: “They relaxed me. I was in a state of panic, then took this tablet and everything slowed down.”
Don’t Tell Me the Score is available every Thursday on BBC Sounds.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or visit ’s website.