Ryan Dusick reached the mountaintop. With his childhood friends he started the band Maroon 5, catapulted to a global music force and right when things were firing on all cylinders, an old baseball injury caught up with him and sidelined him. What started as a few missed dates on tour lead to him eventually his departing the band, unable to play anymore. That departure sent Ryan on a downward spiral of alcoholism and depression. There is a silver lining in all of this though. Through years of self work, Ryan found recovery and a new sense of purpose, getting his masters degree and becoming a therapist to help others who are struggling the same way he did.
Today, drums are back in Ryan’s life as well as other creative pursuits like writing – including his new book, Harder to Breathe: Founding Maroon 5, A Memoir of Making Maroon 5, Losing It All, and Finding Recovery. He even has a man-cave of sorts in his home that serves as a safe escape for him; a room that was completed when he was exiting rehab and has never seen alcohol within it’s walls, both psychically and metaphorically.