SUM 41's DERYCK WHIBLEY: 'My Body Is Now Operating Almost 8 Years Younger Than My Actual Age'

SUM 41's Deryck Whibley says that his body is "now operating almost eight years younger" than his actual age, nearly 12 years after he was hospitalized with severe kidney and liver damage due to alcohol addiction.

On Tuesday (December 30),the 45-year-old Canadian-born vocalist and guitarist took to his social media to offer a "major health update", writing: "It's very well documented that 12 years ago I was in really rough shape. In a hospital bed, dying of liver failure. What some people might be surprised by is how well I've managed to turn my life and health around.

"I'll be the first to admit I dodged a bullet," he continued. "I walked away from all of that completely unscathed — no permanent damage of any kind. Partly because I was relatively young at the time, and partly because the human body is an amazing machine.

"It was actually helpful that my organs shut down — it was a self-defense mechanism. Everything stopped before anything could be damaged. And as we all learned in 9th-grade biology, the liver is one of the few organs that can completely regenerate itself. Mine has — and then some.

"As of this year, I'm proud to say that with a lot of work and major lifestyle changes, my body is now operating almost 8 years younger than my actual age," Deryck added. "And in 2026 I plan on tweaking the few things that are holding me back from being a full decade younger inside!

"I'm not trying to do any 'biohacking,' just practicing healthy discipline and consistency.

"Point of all this is: anything is fucking possible. Just stay persistent."

Nearly two years ago, Whibley reflected on the worst moments of his alcohol addiction, telling People magazine that he often drank as a means to subside the symptoms of his long-lingering back pain.

"Because it was just nonstop touring, I never really took care of it," he said. "Things got worse, and I got to a point where we just put out a record, and I injured my back again for I think the third time. And it was really, really bad and really painful. The only options were to go home, cancel the rest of the years of touring and let that album just die, or take heavy painkillers. I don't remember what they were, but after seeing what became of the [oxycodone] epidemic across the U.S., I didn't really want to take any of that stuff."

"What I did notice was, when I had a couple drinks at night, my back pain would go away," he continued. "So I just thought, you know what? I can get through the tour because I pop some Advil, have a couple drinks, and I think I'll be fine. I just kept going on the tour."

As his pain got worse, "my drinking started earlier in the day," he said. "It just kept getting earlier and earlier because I was trying to self-medicate, trying to get through the tour…. All of a sudden if I didn't have a drink, my body starts shaking, my hands are shaking, and I would say to myself, 'I don't really want to drink right now.' But I had realized like, 'Oh my God, I'm having withdrawal syndrome, so I have to have a drink.' Then everything would mellow out. I'd feel better. But then you also feel good, because you just had a drink or two and you're like, 'Man, well, let's have another one. I've already had two. What's three?' And then, 'What's one more?' It just gets worse and worse and worse."

Whibley is a Canadian musician, songwriter, and producer best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the punk rock band SUM 41, recently inducted into the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame. Over the years, the band has become known for its distinctive blend of punk rock, metal, pop-punk, and alternative influences. Whibley's dynamic stage presence and ability to craft songs that are both infectious and emotionally resonant helped solidify SUM 41 as one of the most influential acts of the early 2000s punk scene. Beyond his work with the band, Deryck has collaborated with a range of artists as a writer, producer and mixer, including Iggy Pop, Avril Lavigne, Tommy Lee and OPERATION M.D., among others.

Deryck's creative pursuits extend far beyond music. Last year, he released his memoir, "Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven And Hell", an international bestseller that offers a deeply personal look at his rise to fame, struggles with addiction, path to recovery, and surviving abuse, making for a raw and honest story of resilience, healing, and balance. This year, he's channeling that same creative spirit into fashion with the launch of Walking Disaster, his new streetwear brand. What began as a simple idea to end the reign of boring socks quickly evolved into a movement to create clothing that's more than just fabric, buy what Whibley calls "identity armor."