By David Futrelle
If you’ve been wondering where Jordan Peterson has been for the past several months, we now have an answer, courtesy of his daughter Mikhaila in a YouTube video yesterday: he’s been in “absolute hell” trying to get himself off of the effective but highly addictive anti-anxiety drug Klonopin, a quest that ultimately took him to Russia, where he ended up in a medically induced coma to cure a case of pneumonia she says he picked up in a North American hospital.
Rehab is punishingly rough for most people, but Peterson’s path in the direction of recovery took more than a few strange turns along the way. He first began taking the potent benzodiazepine several years ago, his daughter claims, after having a (self-diagnosed?) autoimmune reaction to food; he became a full-fledged addict last spring after his wife was diagnosed with cancer, ultimately retreating from a busy schedule of public talks and turning to doctors, first in North America, then in Russia, to get off the drug.
According to Mikhaila, as the National Post notes,
the family sought alternative treatment in Russia because they found North American hospitals had misdiagnosed him, and were prescribing “more medications to cover the response he was experiencing from the benzodiazepines,” Mikhaila said. “He nearly died several times.”
She also reports that her father at one point was contemplating suicide because the side effects of some of the meds he was taking were so severe.
She and her husband took him to Moscow last month, where he was diagnosed with pneumonia and put into an induced coma for eight days. She said his withdrawal was “horrific,” worse than anything she had ever heard about. She said Russian doctors are not influenced by pharmaceutical companies to treat the side-effects of one drug with more drugs, and that they “have the guts to medically detox someone from benzodiazepines.”
It seems a little strange to go from Canada to Russia — a country not exactly known for its fine hospitals — for medical treatment, but hey, this is a guy who thinks the ideal diet consists of nothing but meat and salt.
Jordan Peterson has only just come out of an intensive care unit, Mikhaila said. He has neurological damage, and a long way to go to full recovery. He is taking anti-seizure medication and cannot type or walk unaided, but is “on the mend” and his sense of humour has returned.
Is Peterson a hypocrite? Rule 6 of Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life — as spelled out in his bestselling book of that title — is one of his most demanding pronouncements: “SET YOUR HOUSE IN PERFECT ORDER BEFORE YOU CRITICIZE THE WORLD.”
Peterson is speaking metaphorically, of course; he’s not talking about tidying up one’s room as much as he is talking about tidying up one’s own life. “Don’t reorganize the state until you have ordered your own experience,” he writes.
Have some humility. If you cannot bring peace to your household, how dare you try to rule a city?
This is a rule that Peterson has some considerable difficulty in following himself. Not much given to humility, he has been trying to “reorganize the world” for many years despite his own life being, frankly, something of a mess. And it’s not just the benzos. He’s a follower of a crank diet that he admits causes him considerable internal distress; he has a snappish temper that has led him to fantasize about and sometimes even threaten physical violence against his critics; he’s a stubborn intellectual bully who has aligned himself with some of the world’s worst “intellectuals.” And he’s an anti-trans bigot.
I don’t wish the horrors of addiction and rehab on anyone, not even Jordan Peterson. But I do hope he returns from this ordeal a little chastened, a little less judgmental, and a lot wiser.
Not that his fans would agree. From their comments on the Jordan Peterson subreddit, it’s clear they want the old Peterson back, as soon as possible.
“If Peterson has taught me one thing it’s to look the f*k out when this guy comes back,” writes one fan. “I can not wait to see how he emerges. Buckle up, Bucko.”
Another draws hope from one of the ancient Egyptian myths Peterson likes to talk about:
He is in the metaphorical underworld fighting to get out. like Ra/Amun in the Egyptian religion.
Yes, let’s literally compare Peterson with a supreme deity.
Still another commenter spins a conspiracy theory to explain Peterson’s troubles:
I consider it disturbingly coincidental, that someone who has devoted themselves to combatting the hard Left, would suddenly develop such chronic health problems over the last 12-24 months.
The main reason why I say that, is because the one message which I have most consistently received from the Millennial/Z Left on this site over the last ten years, has been that there is literally no room on this planet, or within reality itself, for anyone who disagrees with them or with their message. …
I sincerely hope that Doctor Peterson makes as close to a full, permanent recovery as is possible from such a condition, as his ongoing presence is urgently needed. If for no other reason, this is so that individuals like myself, for whom it is all too easy to assume that the Left reign supreme in society, can be reminded that we are in fact not alone, and that battle has been joined.
One of Peterson’s fan boys even ventured into an anti-Jordan Peterson subreddit to tell critics that
He’s going to recover fully and will have more support than ever and will continue speaking the truth and all of you whiny little fucking pathetic cunts will have to deal with it. Can’t wait 🙂
I’m not seeing a lot of humility here. But if Peterson can’t live up to his own pronouncements, it’s perhaps a bit much to expect that his fans will either. But I suspect that they’re right about one thing: Peterson will come back from this ordeal having learned nothing from it — the same flawed, judgmental jerk we’ve gotten to know over the past several years.
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@WWTH
I personally enjoy it because I’m also a fan of both gymnastics and figure skating.
Is his daughter the source for this entire story or has it been confirmed in some way? Given some of her other statements I’m not sure I would take what she says at face value.
@Jon H
This is because Russia has policies that more explicitly favor misogynist scum and homophobes. Not to mention that Putin blamed ethnic minorities for election interference and Poland for WWII, and sees women these days in more of a submissive role. Russia these days is practically fascist, not communist. No wonder the alt-right loves that country.
@Robert
@Specialffrog
I agree, she’s probably an unreliable narrator. After all, IIRC she’s the one who started the whole all meat diet business.
I don’t know about Canada, but in the US benzos are a Schedule IV drug – not as addictive as I, II, and III, but still considered a controlled substance. Treatment involves drug rehab, not physical rehab, in which other (equally addictive) drugs are substituted.
I suspect he went to Russia because medical treatments are less regulated there and he thought he could detox cold turkey there without further pharma interventions. Personally, I can’t imagine getting on a plane and flying several hours while in the grip of horrific withdrawal symptoms. Klonopin withdrawal is worse than quitting heroin, from what I’ve heard. It has to be tapered extremely slowly, over months to years, under close medical supervision.
Weird that he started taking it for food intolerance. It’s supposed to be a last-line anxiety treatment. What doctor prescribed it to him?
This bit of lobster “wisdom” is such terrible advice, and so completely wrongheaded. Nobody in this world ever has their house in perfect order, especially those whom the world treats the worst. Under Jordan’s own rules, even he has no right to tell other people what to do. (And no, getting treatment for addiction, while a positive step, does not mean your house is in order.)
It’s a fallacy to dismiss a person’s criticisms of the system as invalid because of personal struggles. All this does is give his followers license to silence people they disagree with. They can be a hot mess and it’s OK as long as they’re “trying” to clean their room, but their critics must be flawlessly perfect or else shut up. This is not a new or particularly deep thought.
It also encourages people to turn their back on the world and stop trying to make a difference, which is never helpful.
@WWTH – I always love your posts on figure skating and gymnastics. I used to follow figure skating avidly (even did it myself for awhile). They’re sports where women usually have a larger audience then men, so it’s a good topic for a feminist blog. We often have long side discussions about games and cooking and current events, so why not skating?
I like the rhythmic gymnastics ball routines because, done well, the control of the ball creates an illusion of the gymnast’s body extending further than the physical body; the movement and the ball and the gymnast become a greater thing. The other apparatuses are more like accessories, though the ribbon is mesmerizing to watch.
Opioid withdrawal makes you feel terrible. Benzo withdrawal causes seizures that can cause permanent brain damage- that’s why we only reverse benzos when the patient is so somnolent they can’t protect their airway- and we usually intubate them first even then and try a slow wean.
Given all that, I’m not surprised he suffered ‘neurological damage’.
TW: Mental illness/suicide talk (have I done this correctly?)
I’ve been there.
Don’t get me wrong, I fucking hate this man and all his horrible stans. My mom and my auntie both read (some of) his stupid lobster book and at points tried to defend him to me. I will never forgive him for getting his dark intellectual filthy lobster claws into my family, and especially fuck him for making me feel empathy towards him because I identify with his experience!
I’ve been through the benzo withdrawal myself and it was the worst experience of my life. I was put on them years ago to try and treat anxiety/panic attacks. Nobody decided to explain to me what was happening and it didn’t go to rehab. When I reported suicidal thoughts they just threw me in a locked ward so I wouldn’t kill myself and somehow I survived. I must admit I am still currently in the “wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy” camp for now. It was truly a nightmare. And fuck him again for bringing back all those shitty memories.
@Buttercup
The scheduling of drugs in the U.S. is hot garbage, and shouldn’t be used as a basis for deciding anything whatsoever about a drug.
I’m on benzos. My psychotic episodes were being triggered by panic attacks, so to keep me from being institutionalised, my GP and psychiatrist authorised their usage in me about six years ago. I actually don’t take them every day, sometimes it can be weeks between panic attacks and I don’t feel either physically unwell nor psychologically dependant to take them when there is no pressing need.
I’m also on two strong opioids and am prescribed hypnotic sleeping drugs. I probably shouldn’t confess all this because people start pearl clutching and think they know better than the people who have been treating me for mental illness and chronic pain for over 20 years (literally happened to me on Youtube early yesterday) but I assume the commentariat here know better.
Interesting take by journalism professor Jay Rosen:
https://mobile.twitter.com/jayrosen_nyu/status/1226541499762036736
@Dalillama
IIRC cannabis is still Schedule I and pretty much every doctor concludes that it’s nowhere near as dangerous as other schedule I drugs like heroin.
Among the comments to the tweet @Specialffrog cites above is somebody speculating on whether going to Russia has to do with tax avoidance/laundering. I realize in repeating that I am participating in potentially defamatory speculation. I like to be skeptical of conspiracy theory nonsense and don’t want to contribute to it. But JP has been overtly alt-right and we don’t have to speculate about Russian ties; they are out in the open. So my question, is there any real evidence to support the suggestion that he has financial interests in Russia (or that Russian officials have financial stake in him)?
@wwth I don’t care for rhythmic gymnastics personally but I like your posts because learning about things others are passionate about makes us all better.
@varalys Keep taking good care of yourself.
@Susan: I wouldn’t put stock on replies to Jay Rosen necessary. It is worth noting that the National Post is roughly the Canadian equivalent of the NY Post.
@Susan, thankyou 🙂
@Joekster
I was wondering about that myself. I was vaguely aware that some drugs can have serious side effects if one goes through acute withdrawal, and when Peterson’s daughter explained the “unafraid” attitude of Russian doctors I immediately suspected they had put him through acute withdrawal.
But on the other hand his family also describe a disastrous experience with Canadian health care, and it’s possible that some event gave him neurological damage there, but his condition was too poor to recognize the injury until later.
As far as I’m concerned induced coma can trigger lung infection or make the existing one worse. You are sedated to the point that you need machines to breathe for you, with tubes down your throat, and without ability to cough up phlegm, wchich has to be mechanically suctioned out by the nurse. All that claim of induced coma to treat lungs just does not make any sense..
These dudes always seem to lead such bizarre, inexplicable personal lives. I mean, take Roosh. An Iranian-American former microbiologist who became a pickup artist/D-list right-wing internet celebrity backpacking through Europe and Latin-America, then literally lived in his mother’s basement before converting to Orthodox Christianity after getting high on shrooms? I mean, just where the fuck does such a person come from, anyway? How does one come to be the way he is? A character in a movie could not have a more eccentric backstory. It’s hard not to wonder if such factors as child abuse, mental illness, drugs, etc. might be involved.
Echoing others: I don’t wish benzo withdrawal on anyone. I went through mild alprazolam withdrawal about two years ago; that was bad enough. I brought it on myself. I went through three months worth of pills in six weeks. I won’t be making that stupid mistake a second time.
@LollyPop: RE: Phenibut. Phenibut would be helpful for benzo withdrawal, but it takes so long to take effect.
I don’t understand why Peterson is so popular. Some of his advice, I think, is actually good and sound, but it’s not original. Others have articulated it better than him, too.
Huh. I actually take the generic of that one. Needed it to help me sleep in college, only very rarely now. Luckily, I avoided getting hooked, mostly because I typically only ever took a half dose unless I was willing to fall asleep right within half an hour of taking it and be drowsy in the morning. I still keep some halves on me in case of acute panic attacks, but I use at most two a month. Ditto when I was on xanax–had it in such low doses and so infrequently it didn’t hook me.
Interestingly the generic Klonopin went from green to pink in the last couple years. Still confuses me seeing little pink pills instead of green.
@Varalys
I too have chronic pain, from Dercums Disease, and have been on opioids for 15 years. Unfortunately I’m extra susceptible to one opioid side effect: myoclonus. So I take Klonopin to reduce them. At one point I was taking 3.5 mg/day. Then I realized that the bupropion huge dose I was also taking wasn’t helping any more, and was exacerbating the myoclonus. Seven years later I’m down to 3/8 mg/day. I tapered very slowly. I’ve been able to cut it more recently because I’m taking 200 mg twice daily, which also helps control the myoclonus, although I pay for it to reduce inflammation and pain. So I definitely sympathize, and wouldn’t dream of questioning your medical decisions.
I’m rambling, a bit too much Bubba Kush, at least I can still read.
@Dormousing_it
Or, in other words:
“The part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good.”-Samuel Johnson
I think the main reason for his popularity is that he’s a reactionary who gives people scapegoats (LGBTQIPA+ folx, feminists, “cultural Marxists,” etc) rather than having them solve their own problems. A tried and true fascist technique.
@Pink Haired Old Lady, so sorry to hear you’re a chronic pain sufferer. Opioids do have a place in treatment. I also have had physio, acupuncture, massage, counselling and other none drug treatments too. Unfortunately the downside of these is they are not permanent, you get sent for an 8 week course of treatment and then that’s that. Opioids get me through the day and mean I don’t need to walk with a cane in my forties.
I’ve only had problems with a drug for my depression. It’s called Venlafaxine/Effexor. It’s one that is designed to work Right Now. Downside is that it leaves your system fast. One day I got stuck overnight in a place where I had no access to my drugs and literally 14 hours later by the time I got home I was shaking and shivering and could hardly walk, it was like have awful flu. I always keep spares on me now, cos I never wanna fell like that again.
I stopped looking in on the r/JBP Reddit sub. Whatever the LD50 for schadenfreude is, I was getting dangerously close.
The lobsterkin are not taking this at all well. The idea that so many people disagree with them so vigorously is becoming painfully obvious*, even to
them.
*And obviously painful.
@Robert
I thought they would know people disagreed with them and would just shrug them off as “brainwashed” or “sheeple” or something to that effect. That’s what most conspiracy theorists do when they realize most people are against them.