Fans and followers of psychologist and social media influencer Dr. Jordan Peterson are expressing their thoughts and prayers after his wife delivered a disheartening update about his health.
Peterson has been sidelined for a while as he recuperated, but the latest reports indicate he’s facing some significant hurdles along the way.
Here’s what Fox News reported:
“Dr. Peterson is at home with family and helpful companions… he is not talking about going back to work yet,” Tammy Peterson told the New York Post, adding that he “feels as if he’s in another realm of pain.”
ADVERTISEMENT“His mornings are brutally painful and discouraging for him. Later, much later in the day, he sometimes feels some relief,” she continued. “The damage done from psych medications from over six years ago takes patience, time and loving attention.”
Peterson has a well-documented history of medical issues related to the use of benzodiazepine and his family has put a spotlight on the discomfort that occurs when going through withdrawal. Tammy 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,” his wife told the Post. “The medical industry will have to face this evidence and take steps to protect the public from harm.”
Tammy Peterson also told the Post that her husband suffered from sepsis while recovering from pneumonia in Switzerland.
The update from his wife came just a few weeks after his daughter provided related context:
We figured out that dad has a psych med induced neurological injury, and has been suffering from akathisia. It’s been 6 years since any psych medications. Last summer his symptoms started, after a flare up likely induced by mold (CIRS) and stress. It was complicated by pneumonia… pic.twitter.com/wPjAz4XsLT
— Mikhaila Peterson (@MikhailaFuller) April 18, 2026
The news and speculation has spread via social media in the days since then:
The grifters and libtards would be grifting on his death
— Seed Oil Disrespecter™️ (@SeedOilDsrspctr) April 19, 2026
The New York Post also reported on the latest development:
In 2022, Dr. Peterson spoke with podcaster Joe Rogan about the process of trying to get off the medication. “I was in excruciating pain for two years, like pain on levels that I didn’t know was possible,” he said.
ADVERTISEMENTThe Daily Mail reported Jonathan Pageau, a religious influencer and Peterson family friend, described Dr. Peterson as “overwhelmed with pain and discomfort” after only brief periods of conversation.
“Good days look like struggle and pain, but he’s still capable of taking walks, working on projects and having good conversations, just with difficulty and never for long,” he said. “Bad days are constant pain and akathisia. He struggles to focus on anything and lapses into discouragement and despair.”
Tammy, in speaking to The Post, also dispelled “a rumor” that Dr. Peterson experienced sepsis as a side effect of stem cell treatments performed by celebrity doctor Adeel Khan.
In reality, she said, he never received stem cell infusions from Khan. A localized stem cell injection in his elbow he got from the doctor in 2023 never caused any side effects, she said.
Here’s a tribute from a well-wisher that compiles a few of Peterson’s most memorable moments:
Get well soon, big man. pic.twitter.com/RwP7ipCUmD
— Graham Linehan (@Glinner) May 3, 2026
What’s your assessment?


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