In February 2020, the daughter of the controversial Canadian professor, clinical psychologist, and best-selling author Jordan Peterson announced that her father had been suffering horrific withdrawal effects for many months, after cold-turkeying from Klonopin at the suggestion of a psychiatrist. Mikhaila Peterson reported that her father was close to death several times in North America, where he developed pneumonia, suffered from the medication-induced torture of akathisia, and became suicidal. Unable to find help in North America, he was then flown to Russia, where he apparently underwent a rapid detox. After the detox, Jordan went to Florida and then Serbia for further treatment. In June, 2020, Dr. Peterson shared his experience on The Mikhaila Peterson Podcast.
In October 2020, Peterson released a video. In the video he shared that he had returned home to Canada and remained severely impaired by his use of and withdrawal from his benzodiazepine prescription.
So hello I give Dr Peterson credit for spreading the extreme COMPLICATED issue of not only benzos but more importantly how illiterate medical and other people are about effects and I wish him well. I have been prescribed benzos for 16 years have been on klonopin and Valium but Xanax the last twelve years where my tolerance used to be so high I was prescribed 8mg daily for nearly 8 years. I do have severe anxiety and panic disorder legitimately and docs “kept an eye” on my use since it was prescribed long term, and honestly they were trying but didn’t ever use the phrase dependency due to taking medicine AS PRESCRIBED which I have done as did Dr Peterson. 13 years ago on my own I blindly tried stopping benzos by using a scientist from Europe method switching to Valium and weaning which I did in four weeks which was an over abrupt taper, I did last two months without benzos at all and although sleep came somewhat better, extreme anxiety, restlessness with exhaustion, in short I was in hell so I went back on 6 to 8mg daily of Xanax til October 2024 when I weaned too fast again, also NOT MEDICALLY GUIDED, I was benzo free for 11 days and on the twelfth day was found on my apartment floor unconscious and rushed to the ER due to benzo withdrawals with horrible hallucinations and nightmares this time as well, the er docs at first said just tell us what drugs your on lol. I said listen test me every way for every drug I don’t use drugs at all or even drink, this happened because I STOPPED taking Xanax too quickly and since that happened I found a great psychologist and doctor that are helping me taper the CORRECT way. The doctor reinstated the Xanax at 5mg a day November 2024 but every 3 months since then I have reduced either an eighth of a milligram or a quarter of a milligram and on the 28th of February I will see my doctor and im ready to make another reduction of a quarter milligram daily which in 15 months I’ve went from 5mg daily down to 2.5 daily soon to be 2.25 and im doing well. Very few withdraw symptoms and feel confident I’m going to succeed, I was on 7 to 8mg daily for a decade and a half due to my not being and my old doctor not being educated on long term effects of benzos. Now with having a doctor and psychologist that know about slowly but surely weaning is the healthiest way for any person like myself who have been on these for years I will keep this taper going and third time I become benzo free I have high hope I can stay that way.
How do I get help? Where do I go ?
Hello Lisa Marinos, look into this Dr. here. https://www.thebenzotaperdoctor.com/dr-madhava-the-benzo-taper-doctor.
Thankyou so much!!
Your story touches my heart!!
I am so grateful your family and friends have supported you!!
What a beautiful gift that is🙏🏻
I have been on 2 mg clonazepam every day for 11 months and realized within 4 months I was in tolerance!!
What a grueling nightmare this has been that has robbed my husband and I of our life’s!!
Our joy has been sucked away all because I trusted a doctor sfter suffering long haul covid that turned into depression and anxiety and no longer could sleep!!
I have not been blessed with support from family and friends but have become very scared and alone under a very lonely and scary taper and we don’t talk about it!!
My husband has been wonderful and has taken very good care of me as I rarely leave my home and have gotten down to 5.2ml in a liquid compound form and now each cut is indesribable torture and I am so scared at this rate its going to take me another 1-2 years at this rate!!
With the holidays around the corner I am going to hold until after Christmas!!
I have always been a very outgoing high functioning athletic women and now am a frail sick depressed miserable woman.
I am a christian and love the Lord and cling to my faith and without it I don’t know where I would be
I pray for the millions of people whose lives have been destroyed by this evil dangerous horrible drug that was prescribed by my doctor and I never even took the full dose prescribed
God bless you and all of the people suffering.
Omg. I hope you’re OK. 🙏
I was on 3mg. Went cold turkey. Ended up in hospital. They misunderstood (so did I) and upped me to 6mg. It was a three year journey to realize what had happened and ween off.2009-2012. The experience has left me disillusioned and bitter.
You’re out of it Doc. I made it through after 15+ yrs at 3mg/day. You have a family that’s supporting you. I had nobody, but God. I was a cop for 21 years with military PTSD as well. You’re going to make it!!!
VA induced cold turkey. It came very near to killing me.
🙏 praying you feel well now. I’m sorry you suffered for so long and without plenty of support.
How long was Mr Peterson on benzos for ? I’m desperate for some help I was on an off lorazepam for 15 months , recently had a week in detox where they didn’t listen to me when I said I’m in benzos withdrawal not alcohol withdrawal ( wasn’t drinking a lot ) but put me on diazepam for a week high dose ,now 3 weeks without those and suffering terribly with akathisia
Omg. I hope you’re OK. 🙏
As a psychologist who should know better, not a smart move.
Well aren’t you just perfect.
How dare you!! Simply awful comment!!
That comment was in response to @jane Smith. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Cannot even believe the inhumane comment that you made! It’s not a choice that I would make because I’m scared to death I would die and would not want to chance leaving my family!!
I know he was under medical care and was watched so closely, so I’m sure it was very safe just very intense and hard for him. What a strong brave man!!
God bless him, and Lord Jesus, protect him through the months and years to come🙏🏻
I think it was very brave of him and I can see where he was coming from just wanting off of this horrible poison! Similar story to Stevie Nicks:(
Thank you for being this pandemic to light, that effect so many. I was proscribed them in 06, and now trying to find help to get a medical doctor in the USA has been impossible.
Thank you, so much!
But how should the average person recover from this? I can’t take my family member to Russia, Serbia and Florida
see a doctor bro. they have them in america. they’ll taper you off to help you avoid withdrawal symptoms. it will take years (unfortunately) but you will live. all he got in russia was a brain chip and a sketchy direct deposit.
Chip do mózgu? Na czym to polega? Poproszę o więcej informacji na ten temat.
Pozdrawiam z 21 dnia off🙂
I took 1mg clonzapam for almost year . When I tapered for month and quit it . I suffered for 7 weeks
I thought I was going to die for sure . Some days I wished I did .
I’m at 14 and a half years since a too fast taper which was recommended by my doctor. Still suffering but am finally getting some
Good days. Best thing I can say is I had to just give into it and accept it and know that someday it will be over. Took me over a decade to learn that. Please don’t let this frighten you because it is unusual to take this long but at the same time I go looking for long protracted people because it was immensely comforting to find that I’m not alone.
He says he took it since 2017, that’s not 21 years.
I just saw Jordan Peterson on a podcast and he looks great. I’m wondering if he is taking a medication after his cold turkey off benzodiazapine???
I’ve been dependent on Klonopin for the past 21 years, never abused it, took it as prescribed. Doctors and rehabs don’t really understand how painful it is and they don’t have answers, which I can’t blame them for. Currently, I’m working on a micro-taper where I am cutting 1/100th of a milligram but it’s still insanely difficult.
Where is Siberia did he go for help. I have been suffering from protracted benzo withdrawal for 5 years now and am desperate for help. I have two kids and a wonderful husband and I would love help.
hi rachael, even tho i dont know u, im a hs student and i hope u got ur help that you need and i hope it got better
Rachel, I hope that your’e off of it. It is definitely possible & to feel normal again. It took me 4 years and it was from 2008-2012 & there weren’t the forums like today. I did it the hard way & most doctors don’t understand the drug. I was an insomniac/ walking zombie during that period. You need to find an experienced doctor that will do outpatient rehab. Micro dosing with Valium under a doctors care is the safe way to do it. Iv’e cold turkeyed too many times to count & had two gran mal seizures. It took me about a year off of it to feel somewhat normal- I was still not sleeping the best. Good sleep is so important too. I promise there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Thk u. My dr prescribed up to 3 mg a day and I had no clue about this poison pill. I’m down to 1 mg/day after 4 months. Today I feel a little more like myself but it’s always on my mind. I have everything and could be traveling and socializing and have love in my life but no my doctor had to give me this and not warn me about the side effects. Or getting off it.
She still states that it’s safe, and doctors are prescribing it everywhere.
How the effects of this are not known by doctors is an absolute horror and they should be sued. All you have to do is Google it.
I’m determined to recover and be the person that I used to be. Still in shock
Please go slow. Pay attention to your body. I tapered nine months to get off a 1 mg after twenty years. Almost two months off and it’s brutal. Don’t rush it or you’ll have a brain injury. Best wishes!