Zach Bryan is opening up about his struggles with alcohol. The country star recently revealed that at one point in his life, he was slamming 15 beers per day. He's also revealed that he was intoxicated when he wrote most of the songs he's released throughout his career.
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Bryan shared his battle during a recent discussion with Matthew McConaughey. The conversation was released alongside his latest EP, "Young Manhood and Other Donatable Organs."
"When I got in the throes of drinking f—ing 15 beers in a day and I kept going with that cycle, I started getting these really, really severe panic attacks where my whole body went numb, and I thought I was going to have a stroke and die," Bryan said during the conversation, via Page Six.
Bryan then continued by detailing his interactions with a doctor and the warning he received.
"I'd curl up for days at a time, and I went to a doctor. And, like I said, I still didn't believe it. I told the doctor, 'Man, I'm just hungover. I'm fine.' And the doctor was like, 'No, man. You have a really severe thing going on here.'"
Following that trip to the doctor, Bryan was diagnosed with a panic disorder. It was then that quitting alcohol was suggested as something that could help him.
"[My doctor] said, 'I think you have a pretty bad panic disorder. And if you quit drinking, that might help you a little bit.' So I tried it, and I was like, 'Oh, yeah.'"
Zach Bryan Used Alcohol To Deal With Stage Fright
Later in the conversation, Bryan revealed that he previously used alcohol to deal with his stage fright.
"So I used to get on stage. Here's my routine. I used to think this was the perfect routine. No show could ever go bad if I did this: work out, shower, play my guitar, listen to Bon Iver, drink four beers," he recalled. "It eased my pain. All the stage fright I had was gone after I drank three or four beers, and I'm like, 'I can do it.' Then I would drink after the show, too."
Fortunately, Bryan has now overcome his battles with alcohol and has learned how to deal with the nerves of performing to a live audience while sober.
"I will say now that I've quit drinking, stages are more scary," he admitted. "But once I get on stage, it's a lot more enjoyable. So much better. It feels like flying. It's more fun. It's the best feeling in the world."
Back in November 2025, Bryan announced that he'd been sober for two months. Now, in October 2026, he's quickly closing in on a whole year. Hopefully, by sharing his story, Bryan can help others dealing with alcohol dependency. After all, too many suffer in silence.
