Survival and mental health awareness have been on the forefront of our minds throughout the coronavirus crisis, and Chase Bryant’s story has both of those elements at its heart.
The country singer first rose to fame in 2015, and enjoyed overwhelming success on country radio. But behind the scenes, he struggled with “severe” depression and anxiety that began when he was in high school and continued throughout his career. The artist recently opened up to People and shared about his journey, starting as a teen through his miraculous survival of a 2018 suicide attempt.
The 27-year-old recalled being bullied, admitting:
“I had friends and I was popular, but I didn’t have friends and I was a weirdo. It just depended on the day. And when you spend your whole life running from that and trying to be this… superhero, this guy in a cape, it’s like… how many times can you do that? And then you forget about the person underneath all that. You fall out of love with yourself.”
As he gained success in the music industry, Chase only became more unhappy. He remembered:
“I want to say it was right after ‘A Little Bit of You,’ which would have been, God, probably 2016. That was when things just sort of started to change for me, and I could feel that change coming on. And I think it was because I was having success as somebody that I really wasn’t.”
He added:
“You’re with this company that, not to name names, but you’re with the company that, at the time, is ‘dance, monkey dance.’ And I was so far from what I ever was wanting to be.”
The Take It On Back singer reflected:
“I was chasing success… I wasn’t chasing happiness. I was trying to be something I wasn’t. I was just being who they told me to be. I was doing what they told me to do, and that was somewhat easy at the time because everybody was filling me with this gratification, and I never really had had that from anybody. I never felt that feeling.”
Career choices that didn’t feel authentic — like his 2017 single Hell If I Know — increased his unhappiness. Feeling trapped, his mental state became even darker. He shared:
“I was just trying to do whatever I could do to get that part of my life over with. I knew what I needed to do. And at the time, for me, it was like, what I needed to do was just peace out. That was it.”
He went on:
“I was just a wreck. I don’t know how nobody could see that. And I guess I did a pretty good job at hiding it, and that’s not their fault. It’s just not.”
A post shared by Chase Bryant (@iamchasebryant)
In 2018, Chase drove his truck to a Nashville gas station, bringing a gun with him. He explained his thought process:
“I just wanted to make it quick. I just thought, ‘I can’t do this at my house.’ My parents were staying at my place. I couldn’t let them see that.”
Recalling the intense, emotional moment, he said:
“At that moment, I begged for somebody to listen and I begged for somebody to just come down and help me. I just screamed out the word ‘sorry’ as loud as I could, and I pulled the trigger… and here I am.”
Chase realized he had somehow only loaded five of the six bullets into his gun; by complete accident, he had saved his own life. He told People:
“So, when I looked at it at that moment, it was like, life’s too short, don’t make it any shorter. It ain’t worth it. We all have something to be thankful for, right? Looking back at it now, it’s so weird. You’re so dark and then all of a sudden you’re like, ‘OK, I got to get my s**t right so I can help somebody else.’ … When I think about it, I want to be that one empty chamber for somebody. I want to be that one shot of fulfillment or hope. I hope that this takes that bullet out of somebody’s life. I hope this takes it away. Maybe somebody sees this, somebody that’s going through something and says, ‘You know what? There is hope,’ because there really is.”
Wow. How inspiring.
After his suicide attempt, Chase checked in to Rolling Hills Hospital, a psychiatric and substance abuse treatment center in Tennessee. Since then, he’s made enormous progress, and seems happier and healthier than ever. People reported that the musician recently found one .357 Magnum bullet in the floorboard of his new truck, which Chase took as “the ultimate sign.” He remarked:
“Now I’m not scared. I realized everything happens for a reason. There is a purpose. It’s like God said, ‘Here’s your second chance.’ It’s the best second chance I’ve ever been given. … Now I get to, hopefully, one day have kids of my own and raise a family of my own. And there’s a lot to be thankful for. And I’m just thankful that I made it out of that night.”
Today, Chase is finally ready to release his debut album, Upbringing. He explained:
“We went to Austin, Texas and we made this record, and it was like putting on my blue jeans and a t-shirt and walking into a studio and not knowing where I was going. just following wherever my heart was going.”
What an incredible story. We’re so glad to hear that he’s doing better, and appreciate him sharing his experience. We hope it makes a positive impact for those who may also be struggling with mental health issues.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
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