Staying Sober

What 35 Years Without a Drink Has Taught Me

Mark Francis O'Sullivan

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Paperback

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QTY:

English

Mark Francis
28 July 2025

Mental health services; Popular medicine & health; Coping with illness; Coping with drug & alcohol abuse

How I quit drinking, stayed sober, and rebuilt my life from scratch.

At 23 I had hit rock bottom. No job, no direction, and no future - just a relentless hangover and the shame that came with it. When a moment of clarity struck, I made a decision that would change everything: I stopped drinking.

This isn't a story of rehab or step work. It's the story of what happens after you put the bottle down - the quiet battles, the unexpected joys, the years of doubt and growth that follow.

Told with brutal honesty and dark humour, Staying Sober is not a full memoir - it's a reflection on a life shaped by alcohol, and eventually reshaped without it. From hiding indoors to avoid temptation, to working through grief without numbing it, to finding purpose in solitude - this is one man's deeply personal journey through 35 years of sobriety.

Whether you're newly sober, still struggling, or simply curious about what life without drink really looks like - this is the book that tells it straight.

By: Mark Francis O'Sullivan
Imprint: Mark Francis
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 140mm, Spine: 3mm
Weight: 73g
ISBN: 9798231848676
Pages: 54
Publication Date: 28 July 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Mark O'Sullivan has been sober for over 35 years. Drawing from his own journey of recovery, he writes with honesty, humor, and hope about life without alcohol. A former fire protection service manager and now a driving instructor, Mark has worked in many trades and seen firsthand the struggles people face in working-class communities. When he isn't writing, Mark enjoys spending time with family, visiting Ireland, and helping others on their own recovery paths. Staying Sober: What 35 Years Without a Drink Has Taught Me is his first book, written to inspire anyone who feels trapped in the cycle of drinking and searching for a way out.