So far, there is no evidence that Peterson displayed any of the so-called aberrant behaviors that define addiction. But again, all we have to go on is reports from his daughter, whose family has a strong financial incentive to spin away any suggestion that the man who made his name engaging in a kind of intellectual Spartan cosplay is hopelessly addicted to a sedative. In fact, Mikhaila has jokingly alluded to how bad an addiction diagnosis would be for her fathers lucrative self-help brand, which purports to rid adherents of weakness through grit and self-sacrifice. We figured we should let people know [the facts] before some tabloid finds out and publishes [that] Jordan Peterson, self help guru, is on meth or something, Mikhaila said in a video update after Peterson checked himself into rehab in the U.S.

Still, as soon as Petersons initial stint in rehab became public in 2019, threads sprang up in Peterson-related forums about whether his fans should think less of him in light of his struggles with benzodiazepines. He was using a drug to escape the pain of reality, period. Call it whatever you like, but it doesnt change the facts, wrote the user KingLudwigII on Reddit. In fact, dependence and addiction are health issues, not character defects, and if you pressed Peterson on that point, hed probably agree. However, that message is a tough sell to many of Petersons fans, who are drawn to his macho image and his personal story of triumph over adversity.

By August or September 2019, Petersons health had deteriorated to the point that the family was more worried about him than his cancer-stricken wife, Mikhaila said in an appearance on RT, the Russian propaganda network aimed at audiences outside of Russia.

There are established ways of treating a dependence on benzodiazepines, a class of sedativesincluding Klonopin (clonazepam), Valium (diazepam), and Xanax (alprazolam)used for anxiety, insomnia, and epilepsy. Introduced to the U.S. market in 1960 as an alternative to barbiturates, benzodiazepines can be useful in treating a variety of conditions from panic attacks to muscle spasms. They can be very helpful for short-term and intermittent use, but their benefits tend to wane when they are used every day. They can also cause physical dependence within four weeks. If a person whos physically dependent on benzodiazepines stops taking the drugs suddenly, they can suffer from withdrawal symptoms including severe anxiety, agitation, and even life-threatening seizures.

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What Happened to Jordan Peterson? | The New Republic