What specific medications did Jordan Peterson say he became dependent on and when did he start taking them?
Executive summary
Jordan Peterson’s family and interviews say he developed a physical dependence on a benzodiazepine prescribed for anxiety — most reporting identifies the drug as clonazepam (Klonopin) and says he began taking benzodiazepines around 2016–2017, with his dosage increased in 2019 after his wife’s cancer diagnosis [1] [2] [3]. Accounts agree he suffered severe withdrawal beginning in 2019 that required extended, multi-country treatment including a sedated detox in Russia [4] [5] [3].
1. What Peterson and his family have said — the basic claim
Peterson’s daughter, Mikhaila, and family statements reported to news outlets say he was prescribed a benzodiazepine for anxiety after a severe autoimmune reaction to food and later developed a physical dependence; reporting repeatedly names clonazepam (Klonopin) as the sedative involved [1] [4] [3]. CBC summarizes the family account that he had been taking the drug “for years” after the autoimmune episode and that dependence worsened when clinicians increased his dose as his wife Tammy battled kidney cancer [2].
2. Timeline in existing reporting — when he started and when problems escalated
Multiple outlets place the start of benzodiazepine use in the mid‑2010s, with several saying he began in 2016 or 2017; most reporting emphasizes that a dose increase in spring 2019 coincided with his wife’s cancer diagnosis and precipitated the severe withdrawal that became public later that year [1] [6] [2] [3]. Family statements say the worst withdrawal and subsequent emergency treatments unfolded in late 2019 and early 2020, when he sought care internationally [4] [5] [3].
3. Which exact medication — what the sources name
News reporting and the family’s public comments most commonly identify clonazepam (the brand name Klonopin) or otherwise refer generically to “benzodiazepines” or “tranquilisers.” The New Republic and several other outlets state he was prescribed clonazepam [1]. Some reporting sticks to the broader class term “benzodiazepine” without naming a specific molecule [4] [5].
4. Medical context: dependence versus addiction
Several commentators and clinicians quoted in coverage distinguish physical dependence (severe withdrawal when stopping) from addiction (compulsive use despite harm). Opinion pieces and medical explainers cited in the sources stress that benzodiazepines can produce physical dependence after weeks to months and that abrupt cessation can trigger dangerous withdrawal [7] [5]. Coverage frames Peterson’s case largely as a medically induced dependence and withdrawal episode rather than classic substance‑use disorder in the public discourse [7] [3].
5. The treatment journey and consequences reported
Reporting describes a prolonged, international treatment search: ICU stays, hospitalizations across North America, and emergency sedated detox in Russia after other attempts allegedly failed; accounts say he spent time in intensive care and that withdrawal produced severe, even life‑threatening symptoms [4] [5] [3]. News outlets report that he later described his recovery as ongoing and “severely impaired” for a period after treatment [3].
6. Disagreements, caveats and where sources diverge
Sources agree on the broad arc (benzodiazepine dependence, severe withdrawal, treatment abroad) but differ on specifics: some name clonazepam/Klonopin and give start dates of 2016 or 2017, while others avoid naming the exact drug and describe only that he was prescribed “a benzodiazepine” and that dependence “started last spring” before treatment [1] [6] [2]. Some advocacy and recovery sites have used slightly different start years (2016 vs. 2017) or framed the episode as “addiction” versus “physical dependence,” reflecting different definitions and possible editorial agendas [8] [7].
7. What the available reporting does not say
Available sources do not provide a single authoritative medical record or a hospital statement confirming the precise prescription history, exact dosing timeline, or the full clinical details of his detox across all facilities; they rely largely on family statements, Peterson’s interviews, and secondary reporting [1] [4] [3]. Therefore some discrepancies in year and in the label “addiction” versus “dependence” persist in coverage [7] [2].
8. Why this matters — public narratives and hidden agendas
The story intersects medicine, celebrity and ideology. Outlets with different editorial stances sometimes emphasize moralizing language (“addicted”) or systemic critiques of prescribing practices; advocacy groups use the case to highlight benzodiazepine harms and the need for better withdrawal care [9] [10]. Family accounts and Peterson’s own comments drive much of the narrative, so readers should note that reporting rests heavily on those firsthand accounts rather than independent clinical documentation [4] [3].
Bottom line: contemporary reporting identifies clonazepam (a benzodiazepine) as the medication most often implicated and places the start of his benzodiazepine use in 2016–2017 with a clinically significant dose increase and catastrophic withdrawal occurring in 2019; however, sources vary on wording and exact dates, and no single public clinical record is cited in the reporting above [1] [6] [2].