AJ McLean Reveals The 'Biggest Thing I've Learned' After 2 Years Of Sobriety

Things are looking up for singer, dancer, and actor AJ McLean who is basking in the joy of his second year of sobriety!

The founding member of the Backstreet Boys has been dedicated to cleaning up his act since his bandmate Richardson confronted him about his drug and alcohol addiction in July 2001.

Following many years of failed attempts, the singer can now boast of being two years sober and he shared all the details about how the milestone has shaped his life so far in a recent interview.

The first time McLean had cocaine, he thought it'd be an easy drug to get out of using. However, with three failed rehab stints — 2001, 2002, and 2011 — and a relapse in 2019, he soon found that it was easier said than done.

Despite the failures, the one constant thing was his commitment to maintain sobriety for the sake of his role as a husband and father. To that end, the "I Want It That Way" hitmaker established clear boundaries between his career [as AJ] and personal life [as Alexander James] to address the strain caused by substance abuse and fame.

Today, he can hold his head high while emphasizing that his sobriety is currently at its strongest point ever as he notably crossed the two-year milestone. Speaking about his sobriety journey and the biggest lesson he has learned from it so far, the 45-year-old gushed:

"[It's been a] little over two years sober now, and life is just beautiful. Probably the biggest thing I've learned is authenticity, being my true, authentic self." 

Explaining more about the life-altering journey, especially when it came to letting go of his celebrity identity, McLean told PEOPLE:

"I've had multiple conversations with my bandmates and the people that work with me when I'm not working, I've asked them all to call me Alex. That's my real name. AJ is a persona. AJ is a character. It doesn't define who I am, and I now feel like I'm getting this healthy balance of when I'm done on stage and I walk off. I'm a dad, I'm a husband, I'm a friend, I'm a brother. That's all that matters to me."

He then expressed his aim to keep evolving into his genuine self as he goes even further on his health journey.

Minus fighting his addiction demons, the "Shape of My Heart" singer has been focused on mending his relationship with his estranged wife, Rochelle McLean, nearly eight months after they announced their separation. On that, the "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" actor disclosed during a podcast appearance:

"We talk every day, we are spending more time together. We just have to rebuild something that was never there from the beginning. I came with baggage, she came with baggage, she had trauma, I had trauma. I wasn't sober or ready to get sober. She was dealing with her own s—. It was just a constant push-pull: She would sweep her feelings under the rug or I would dive into a bottle."

In September, McLean divulged that while his life was on a positive trajectory, his sobriety journey remained an ongoing process. He stated at the time:

"This coming Tuesday [September 28], I will be two years sober, so life is grand right now. It never gets easier, but it just becomes a working part of the mind. You have to literally make it an everyday thing whether you make it to a meeting or not."

To navigate day-to-day challenges, the "I Heart Nick Carter" minor star shared that he engages daily with his sponsor and fellow individuals in the program.

Additionally, he found support through an intensive outpatient mental health program after the conclusion of the Backstreet Boys' "DNA World Tour" in May. The program, spanning ten weeks in Arizona, significantly contributed to his journey.

"I knew I had a window of time, so I said, 'you know what? I need to do some inner work. The sobriety thing is good. I need to go back and do some digging.' Ten weeks for the rest of my life, I am super grateful for it. It was totally worth it," McLean detailed during the reflective conversation.