What conditions has Jordan Peterson said he was treated for since 2019?
Executive summary
Jordan Peterson publicly sought treatment beginning in 2019 for dependence on the benzodiazepine clonazepam and the severe withdrawal and related neurological consequences that followed; his family and reporting say he later developed akathisia and required international treatment and hospitalization [1] [2] [3]. In subsequent coverage his daughter and news outlets say he has also suffered immune‑system problems described as chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) or mold‑related illness, and more recently pneumonia/sepsis and an ICU stay have been reported by his family [4] [5] [6].
1. 2019: Benzodiazepine dependence and withdrawal — the catalyst
Peterson’s health saga publicly began in 2019 when his family disclosed he had entered rehab after struggling with dependence on the benzodiazepine clonazepam, a drug he says was prescribed for anxiety and an autoimmune food reaction; multiple outlets describe a failed taper that precipitated severe withdrawal and hospitalization [2] [7] [3]. Coverage and biographical summaries note that the dependence and the dramatic withdrawal episode interrupted his work and tours beginning in late 2019 [7] [1].
2. Neurological harm and akathisia: reported complications of withdrawal
Several rehabilitation and health‑oriented outlets report that Peterson experienced severe neurological symptoms arising during or after withdrawal, including akathisia (a state of profound restlessness and agitation) and other neurological damage that required treatment abroad and hospitalization [3] [5] [8]. Those sources say his search for care took him to clinics in multiple countries as the family sought effective interventions [3] [8].
3. Immunological diagnosis: CIRS and mold exposure as an ongoing explanation
In more recent statements, notably from his daughter Mikhaila, Peterson’s team has attributed a series of multi‑system sensitivities and flares to chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) tied to mold exposure and a purported genetic predisposition affecting detoxification; Newsweek and other reporting relay her claim that CIRS underlies “multiple health issues” and severe food and medication sensitivities [4]. These immunological descriptions appear in family statements and press coverage as explanations for continuing, fluctuating problems [4].
4. Acute infectious complications and ICU care reported in 2025
Family updates and news reports in 2025 indicate an acute escalation: coverage says Peterson was hospitalized with pneumonia and sepsis and spent time in intensive care, described by his daughter as a “near‑death” episode; some reporting links the acute decline to a CIRS flare or immune dysfunction, though causal clarity is not established in the cited stories [5] [6] [4]. Available sources do not provide full medical records or independent clinical confirmation of causation.
5. How sources differ and where uncertainties remain
Reporting differs in emphasis: biographical and rehab outlets foreground benzodiazepine dependence and withdrawal as the initiating medical event [2] [3], while recent Newsweek pieces and daughter statements emphasize CIRS and mold exposure as an ongoing or separate driver of later problems [4]. Some commercial health sites and later articles also describe pneumonia/sepsis and ICU care but tie those to different proximate causes in different pieces [5] [6]. Available sources do not mention independent, peer‑reviewed medical assessments confirming CIRS diagnosis or directly linking all later problems to prior benzodiazepine exposure.
6. Motives, framing and the limits of the public record
Family members—especially his daughter—are the primary public narrators of many post‑2019 developments, which introduces potential advocacy and framing: Mikhaila Peterson has publicly advanced diet and environmental explanations and has detailed treatment locations and diagnoses [4]. Media outlets vary in tone and depth, from newsrooms citing statements to rehab‑industry blogs summarizing his addiction and recovery; this mix means reportage reflects both first‑hand family claims and secondary health narratives [3] [8] [4]. Sources do not include full medical documentation or independent specialist commentary throughout.
7. Bottom line: what Peterson himself and reporting say he was treated for
According to family statements and the press record included here, since 2019 Peterson sought treatment for clonazepam (benzodiazepine) dependence and severe withdrawal with neurological complications (including reported akathisia), later for immune‑system dysfunction described as chronic inflammatory response syndrome after alleged mold exposure, and more recently for acute infections (pneumonia and sepsis) requiring ICU care [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]. Claims about causes, relationships among these conditions, and definitive diagnoses are reported from family and media sources; independent medical confirmation is not found in the cited reporting.