Zach Bryan opened up about his struggles with alcohol and his mental health, sharing the changes he’s made with fans on social media.
Zach Bryan at the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards from Ford Center at The Star on May 11, 2023 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Penske Media via Getty Images)
The 29-year-old began, “Recently I went on a motorcycle trip across the country. For 20 days I camped and rode looking for a solution. At the end of this ride, I was sitting in a parking lot in Seattle, Washington thinking: ‘I really need some f****** help’.”
He continued, “Being in the military for a decade and then thrown into a spotlight that I hadn’t fully comprehended the scope of, had some subconscious effects on me as a person. I was not content but I also feared showing weakness because that’s not who I am or how I was raised.”
Bryan explained he was using alcohol to cope with “a perpetual discontent” and that it was never the taste that enticed him, “but because there was a consistent black hole in me that always needed its void filled.”
Several stressors, from being “lied about” to being “doxed on the internet” as well as helping friends deal with physical and mental health crises, plus a grueling touring schedule, compounded Bryan’s drinking to a breaking point.
“I was having earth-shattering panic attacks. The anxiety was paralyzing, and I thought since I was successful, had the money I always longed for, and had great friends, that I could tough anything out,” he wrote.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – JUNE 29: Zach Bryan performs during the Quittin Time tour at Nissan Stadium on June 29, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Keith Griner/Getty Images)
Thankfully, Bryan “went out of my way to find a therapist and made the conscious decision to do something about my toxic relationship with booze and how I cope with major life changes.”
He is now two months sober and feels a sense of “personal clarity.”
Bryan added that he’s had the support of his family and his girlfriend, Samantha Leonard and is feeling much happier as he looks to the future.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 04: Zach Bryan attends the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
“Conversations about the future, kids one day, my health and Sammy’s happiness made me prioritize not only myself, but my entire family,” he wrote.
His post concluded with hope and advice.
“I feel great, I feel content, I feel whole. There is nothing I need to get me by anymore. If you or any of your friends are too tough, too scared, or too stubborn to reach out, know that the most stubborn dumba— on the planet did and didn’t regret it.”