Jordan Peterson’s wife says he’s in ‘another realm of pain’ from psychiatric medication injury

Famed psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson is suffering a medication-induced “neurological injury” and has no plans to return to the public eye, his wife said Monday in an interview with the New York Post.

“Dr. Peterson is at home with family and helpful companions… he is not talking about going back to work yet,” Tammy Peterson told the Post, adding that her husband “feels as if he’s in another realm of pain.”

“His mornings are brutally painful and discouraging for him. Later, much later in the day, he sometimes feels some relief,” Ms. Peterson continued. “The damage done from psych medications from over six years ago takes patience, time and loving attention.”

Dr. Peterson has a well-documented history of medical struggles tied to his use of benzodiazepine medication. His family has previously drawn attention to the severe difficulties he experienced during withdrawal. Ms. Peterson said her husband “developed tardive akathisia — a chronic movement disorder characterized by intense restlessness and a compulsive need to move, a known side effect of stopping dopamine antagonist medications.”

“There are many testimonials written by people who have suffered from psych medication damage,” she told the Post. “The medical industry will have to face this evidence and take steps to protect the public from harm.”

Ms. Peterson also disclosed that her husband suffered from sepsis while recovering from pneumonia in Switzerland.

Last month, the psychologist’s daughter, Mikhaila Peterson, posted an emotional video update to social media disclosing that her father would be stepping back from public life due to “a psych med induced neurological injury” and ongoing suffering from akathisia.

Mikhaila, who is pregnant with her second child, attributed the latest flare-up to a combination of extreme stress — including the deaths of both of Dr. Peterson’s parents and the family’s relocation to the United States — as well as mold exposure that the family said led to a diagnosis of chronic inflammatory response syndrome.

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“It’s been hellish,” Mikhaila said in the video.

Dr. Peterson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Dr. Peterson, 63, has largely remained out of the public eye for the past year. His wife said he misses his ability to engage in public debate. “He misses the opportunity to weigh in on societal issues,” she told the Post.

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