Renowned yet divisive psychologist Jordan Peterson is currently facing a grave health challenge, marked by a neurological injury and the distressing condition known as akathisia, as disclosed by his daughter, Mikhaila Peterson.
This development follows her earlier announcement in August, where she revealed that the 63-year-old Canadian thinker and writer had been suffering from chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS), a disorder affecting the immune system.
Peterson’s struggles have been ongoing since he sought treatment for benzodiazepine dependency back in 2019.
On Sunday, Mikhaila took to X, sharing updates about her father’s condition. A co-host of Peterson’s YouTube program “Answer the Call” on The Daily Wire, she described this past year as “horrible” for him.
“Every single day over the past year has felt like a nightmare,” Mikhaila expressed in an emotional video posted on the platform.
“I’ve been moved to tears daily,” she added.
Mikhaila, who is currently 25 weeks pregnant, wrote on X alongside the video: “We figured out that dad has a psych med induced neurological injury, and has been suffering from akathisia.”
She noted that it’s been six years since her father had taken any psychiatric medications, but mold flared his symptoms over recent months, leading to sepsis. She believes stress from the death of both his parents, as well as selling his home, also contributed to his “worsening” symptoms.
“Last summer his symptoms started, after a flare up likely induced by mold (CIRS) and stress. It was complicated by pneumonia and associated sepsis a month later. It’s been horrible.”
Mikhaila also said her father’s akathisia has been severe, and claimed that such neurological injuries are “far more common than people know” and are frequently misdiagnosed.
Akathisia is a condition which can cause restlessness, mental distress and an inability to sit still.
“Akathisia is the worst thing I’ve ever seen anyone go through … it’s catastrophic,” she said.
Mikhaila noted that she won’t be posting on social media until her father’s situation improves.
“I don’t plan on making another update about my dad, it stresses my family out, and myself, and there’s nothing more to say about it until things get better,” she said.
“I will be jumping up and down about psych med injury awareness from now on as it’s impacted my health as well, and is devastating.
“Prayers are appreciated still.”
In August, Mikhaila announced her father’s CIRS diagnosis in a social media post.
“He was diagnosed with CIRS (chronic inflammatory response syndrome) due to a genetic predisposition that causes the immune system to have an inability to identify and detoxify mold/bacteria in indoor air (the genetic predisposition is not that rare, it’s in about 25 per cent of people but he has a severe version),” she wrote.
At the time, she noted he was “feeling the impact of CIRS more and more” over the last 12 months.
“Recently he was exposed to a particularly moldy environment while helping clean out my grandfather’s house after he passed away which severely flared symptoms,” she wrote.
“To be crystal clear — this isn’t about akathisia or medication. He’s not on any medication. It’s an immune system dysfunction.”
Peterson and his daughter have previously raised eyebrows for their promotion of the carnivore diet, dining exclusively on beef with salt and soda water.
“Just like the medical system didn’t recognise ketogenic diets as a treatment for mental disorders 10 years ago (and still most doctors don’t),” Mikhaila said.
“Just like psych med withdrawal wasn’t recognised five years ago (and still more doctors don’t recognise it). This indoor air quality problem that causes Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome will be commonly diagnosed in the next five to 10 years. I am positive about that.”
Peterson, who began his career at Harvard University before returning to Canada, shot to global fame in late 2016 after posting a series of videos criticizing a proposed Canadian law, Bill C-16 — which made it illegal to refuse to refer to a transgender person by their preferred “gender pronoun”.
His YouTube lectures and appearances on popular podcasts like “The Joe Rogan Experience” drew huge audiences, while he also published the self-help book, “12 Rules for Life,” in 2018 before embarking on a global tour.
