Jordan Peterson Hospitalized After Akathisia Flare-up and Sepsis

Jordan Peterson, the Canadian psychologist, has not appeared publicly since May 2025 after his daughter announced he was taking time off because of a severe flare-up of chronic inflammatory response syndrome, or CIRS. He was subsequently hospitalized with pneumonia and sepsis and spent nearly a month in an intensive care unit, where family members described him as near death.

The Peterson family has stated that he is suffering from akathisia, a medication-induced movement disorder characterized by intense inner restlessness.

They maintain this condition stems from his addiction to benzodiazepines, which he began taking in 2017. In 2020 Peterson said he had completed withdrawal and was clean and sober after treatment that included a medically induced coma. That detox took place in Russia, where Peterson was injected with propofol to enter the coma and rode out the withdrawal in a Moscow hospital.

He was released after a month and traveled to Belgrade, Serbia, for several months of care at a clinic focused on neurological restoration. Clinicians there prescribed a combination of sedatives, antidepressants and opiates while using psychological techniques intended to create an aversion to narcotics.

His daughter Mikhaila said at the time that her father appeared "stoned" but had begun to relax.

Carney noted that Mikhaila had acknowledged her father received multiple stem cell treatments during a period when his health declined. Three months after his last public appearance, Peterson was hospitalized in Switzerland. The family said the sepsis followed an intubation procedure there.

They publicly rejected rumors that the infection resulted from stem cell treatments administered by Canadian doctor Adeel Khan. There was no sepsis associated with any stem cell treatments.

There was no stem cell treatment in Switzerland at all. He never received a stem cell infusion from Dr. Khan. He had a localized elbow injection years ago, with no side effects. " Mikhaila Peterson has said exposure to toxic mold that caused CIRS reignited the akathisia her father experienced five years earlier.

Chronic cases of akathisia lasting longer than six months are rare, according to the National Institute of Health. Peterson has participated in the biohacking trend in recent years. In 2023 he hosted longevity doctor Adeel Khan on his podcast and disclosed that Khan had treated both him and Tammy Peterson for chronic pain.

Khan operates Eterna Health clinics in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and Dubai. His medical license in Canada has lapsed, though Eterna Health said it is in the process of being renewed and that Khan has not treated patients since the expiration. Stem cell treatments are not approved in the United States or Canada for pain, arthritis or anti-aging.

The procedures use unspecialized cells from sources such as fat, bone marrow, umbilical cords or placentas. They have gained popularity in wellness circles, with some overseas procedures costing between $5,000 and $100,000. Several other public figures who received treatments facilitated by Khan later faced health issues.

Functional medicine doctor Mark Hyman developed sepsis, director Justin Baldoni had a spine infection, and the wife of podcaster Adam Schaffer showed signs of sepsis after an ovarian injection. Eterna Health said it has treated thousands of patients with 99 percent experiencing positive outcomes and that no cases of sepsis have been linked to its partner facilities.

Florida-based sports medicine physician Jesse Morse, who has criticized Khan's approaches, told The Post that non-FDA approved intravenous treatments carry increased risk.

"When you're dealing with intravenous products that are not stable and not safe [by FDA standards], you're playing with fire," he said. Tammy Peterson has previously expressed frustration with speculation linking her husband's health problems to unconventional treatments. She reiterated that the central issue remains akathisia.

Peterson's earlier health struggles drew attention to his public image. He signed a multi-million dollar deal with the Daily Wire in 2022, published another best-selling book and launched the subscriber-based Peterson Academy after returning from treatment in Russia and Serbia.