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

Still, as soon as Petersons initial stint inrehab became public in 2019, threads sprang up in Peterson-related forums aboutwhether 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 whateveryou like, but it doesnt change the facts, wrote the user KingLudwigII on Reddit. In fact, dependence and addiction arehealth issues, not character defects, and if you pressed Peterson on thatpoint, hed probably agree. However, that message is a tough sell to many ofPetersons fans, who are drawn to his macho image and his personal story oftriumph over adversity.

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

There are established ways of treating adependence 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 panicattacks to muscle spasms. They can be very helpful for short-term andintermittent use, but their benefits tend to wanewhen they are used every day. They can also cause physical dependence within four weeks. If a person whos physicallydependent on benzodiazepines stops taking the drugs suddenly, they can sufferfrom withdrawal symptoms including severe anxiety, agitation, and evenlife-threatening seizures.

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What Happened to Jordan Peterson? - The New Republic