Zach Bryan is done with the great American bar scene.
The acclaimed country singer announced on Tuesday that he’s two months sober after realizing that he’s been using alcohol to cope with “earth-shattering” mental health issues.
Bryan shared the news with fans in a heartfelt Instagram post.
Zach Bryan performs during the Quittin Time tour at Nissan Stadium on June 29, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Zach Bryan says he had a revelation during a cross-country motorcycle trip
Bryan began his announcement by explaining that he had recently completed a 20-day motorcycle trip across the US.
“For 20 days, I camped and rode looking for a solution,” he explained.
“At the end of this ride, I was sitting in a parking lot in Seattle, Washington thinking ‘I really need some f—— help,” Bryan continued, adding:
“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.”
Zach Bryan attends the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
“The anxiety I felt 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.”
Bryan says desire to ‘see the world objectively’ led him to put down the bottle
In recent months, Bryan has dealt with a very public breakup and other personal drama that made tabloid headlines.
While he made no explicit mention of any of that in his post, it seems that his decision was informed by a desire for a more stable, drama-free existence.
“I haven’t touched alcohol for nearly two months now — something I had to do for my own personal clarity,” he wrote.
“I needed to see the world objectively. I feel great. I feel content. I feel whole. There’s nothing I need to get me by anymore.”
Toward the end of his post, Bryan addressed others who might be “too tough, too stubborn, too scared” to seek help and encouraged them to reach out to their loved ones.
“Know that the most stubborn dumbass on the planet did and doesn’t regret it,” he continued.
“In no way is this a greater than thou sentiment and I’m aware I am one of the luckiest men alive. I pray people don’t take this as me taking my blessings for granted,” Bryan captioned the post.
We congratulate Zach on this momentous decision.
While we don’t know if he was drunk at the time of the incident, we’re guessing sober Zach won’t be climbing barbed wire fences to fight fellow singers anytime soon.