Zach Bryan opened up about his mental health struggles and recent journey to sobriety in a candid social media post, revealing he hasn’t “touched alcohol” in almost two months.
The country star shared his decision to seek therapy and address what he described as a “toxic relationship with booze” following a particularly challenging period. Bryan explained that after 20 days of riding his motorcycle and camping across the country “looking for a solution,” he found himself in a Seattle car park and realised: “I really need some f***ing help.”
The musician attributed his struggles to the transition from military service to sudden fame. “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,” Bryan wrote. “I was not content, but I also feared showing weakness because that’s not who I am or how I was raised.”
Bryan described falling into “perpetual discontent” that led to drinking “because there was a consistent black hole in me always needing its void filled.” The situation was compounded by recent controversies, including his highly publicised breakup with podcaster Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia and other online scrutiny.
The singer detailed additional personal challenges that contributed to his mental health struggles: “I have been lied about and doxxed on the internet, I was helping a close friend through a severe mental break, one of my other best friends was put into a coma by a motorcycle accident, and I was touring the country playing five, sometimes six, nights a week.”
These pressures eventually manifested as “earth-shattering panic attacks” and paralysing anxiety, prompting Bryan to make the “conscious decision to do something about my toxic relationship with booze and how I cope with major life changes.”
Bryan’s path to sobriety has been supported by his family and his new girlfriend, Samantha Leonard. “Conversations about the future, kids one day, my health and Sammy’s happiness made me prioritise not only myself, but my entire family,” he explained.
The musician emphasised his current mental state, stating: “I feel great, I feel content, I feel whole.” He acknowledged that whilst he doesn’t believe in “absolutes,” his priority remains maintaining sobriety for “personal clarity” to “see the world objectively.”
Bryan concluded his message with encouragement for others facing similar struggles: “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.”
