Jordan Peterson in 'hellish' battle against 'old neurological injury': daughter

National Post
Psychologist, best-selling author and media commentator Jordan Peterson is reportedly battling a recurrence of akathisia, a severe neurological condition his family links to past medication use.

Canadian psychologist, best-selling author and media commentator Jordan Peterson is battling akathisia again, an “old neurological injury” that his daughter said was triggered by his past use of psychiatric medication.

In an exhaustive and occasionally tearful video update shared Saturday, Mikhaila Peterson described what she said has been a devastating year for the family, centred on her father’s deteriorating health and a relapse of symptoms he first experienced years ago.

“It’s been hellish,” the 34-year-old said in her 33-minute statement.

Akathisia is a condition marked by intense inner restlessness, agitation and an inability to remain still, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The condition is most commonly associated with the side effects from certain medications, particularly antipsychotics, antidepressants and benzodiazepines, though it can arise in other ways.

“It is intolerable discomfort that makes people want to crawl out of their skin,” she said. “A lot of people do not survive it, and there is no quick fix.”

According to the Cleveland Clinic, akathisia is not fatal, but can cause “a poor quality of life” and lead to severe anxiety, dysphoria and suicidal ideation.

Mikhaila said she had a “brief experience” with the condition when she was withdrawing from Lexapro about a decade ago, and while her symptoms were not as severe as her father’s is currently experiencing, she claimed to be “nearly disabled” for over two and a half years.

Last year, Mikhaila announced that Peterson was stepping back from public engagements after being diagnosed with chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS), stressing at the time that it wasn’t related to akathisia.

Peterson, 62, fought to defeat a benzodiazepine addiction in 2019 — seeking treatment in Russia at the time — and developed akathisia in the aftermath, but Mikhaila said in her video that he has not taken any psychiatric medication since January.

Instead, she attributed the relapse to a combination of extreme stress over the last year from the deaths of both of his parents, relocation to the U.S. and the sale of their family home in Toronto, and mould exposure that caused the CIRS.

“This has been unbelievably hard on my family,” she said, describing months of daily distress and uncertainty as doctors allegedly misdiagnosed the condition before Peterson also developed pneumonia and sepsis last October.

68 Olive Avenue in Seaton Village as seen from the outside.

But Mikhaila said her father’s condition “is improving now that we understand it as a neurological injury and are focusing on time, recovery, and avoiding triggers.

“There is light at the end of the tunnel.”

One of the drivers for making the update, she said, was to share her research into akathisia and some of the risks associated with long-term use of psychiatric medication. To that end, and “out of frustration,” she created Prescribed-harm.com , a website where visitors can share their experiences and access dozens of papers on topics related to medication dangers, akathisia, and other topics.

And while she said on X that she “will be jumping up and down about psych med injury awareness from now on,” she said people finding success with the drugs shouldn’t feel pressured to taper.

“Do your research but don’t get concerned from this video and destabilize a stable situation without knowing the risks,” she wrote.

Mikhaila, who is currently 25 weeks pregnant with her second child, said there are no further updates on Peterson’s health planned, as it causes the family too much stress and there’s “nothing more to say about it until things get better.”

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