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By Alia Shoaib
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Jordan Peterson’s daughter Mikhaila shared an emotional update about her father’s “hellish” battle with a debilitating neurological condition.
“Dad's been suffering from an old neurological injury that's more recently been causing akathisia. Akathisia is the worst thing I've ever seen anyone go through. That sounds dramatic, but it's true,” Mikhaila Peterson said.
“This has been unbelievably hard on my family. Every day for the last year has been hell,” she said.
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Akathisia is a recognized medical condition characterized by agitation, restlessness and mental anxiety, most commonly associated with certain psychiatric medications or withdrawal. The neuropsychiatric syndrome and movement disorder makes it difficult to sit or remain still due to restlessness, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Newsweek contacted Mikhaila Peterson via contact form on her website on Monday, outside of regular working hours.
Why It Matters
The Canadian psychologist and high-profile public intellectual Jordan Peterson is known for his polarizing views on topics including gender identity and psychology.
He has experienced a long and highly publicized series of health issues in recent years, including hospitalization, and has remained largely out of public life in recent months.
What To Know
In a video update posted on YouTube, Peterson said her father is currently going through a recurrence of akathisia,.
Peterson said that she believes her father’s akathisia stems from his use of a depressant drug several years ago, which caused him to suffer from akathisia at the time, and which now has been re-triggered. Akathisia is the most common movement disorder associated with antipsychotic medications, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
She said that her father has not since taken any psychiatric drugs, but that he has had a new flare-up due to stress in his personal life.
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Peterson said that she herself has experience with akathisia, which she described as feeling like having “severe restless legs, but also in my arms and body” and causing an “almost hallucinogenic" stress response.
She said her father’s symptoms are “more severe” than what she experienced and that he has gotten worse over the last few months.
“It is intolerable discomfort that makes people want to crawl out of their skin. It's a neurological injury really, a lot of people don't survive it and there's no quick fix,” she said.
Peterson said that in his life her father had suffered from “severe, crippling, life-ruining depression” which she said runs in the family, for which he took psychiatric medications.
She described a struggle for her father to find a diagnosis for his current symptoms, during which time he separately suffered from sepsis and pneumonia, before it was diagnosed as akathisia.
She said that the condition can be “carefully healed” while under the care of proper doctors. She did not go into detail about what treatment he is undergoing.
What Happens Next
Peterson said that she might not provide further updates about her father’s health going forward as the situation is very stressful for the family.
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