Mould Exposure Forces Jordan Peterson to Take Time Off After ‘Severe’ Flare-Up of Illness, Daughter Says

Psychologist and author Jordan Peterson. The Canadian Press

Canadian psychologist and public speaker Jordan Peterson is stepping away from his public engagements after mould exposure led to a “severe” flare-up of a chronic illness he has been battling for years, his daughter says.

Daughter Mikhaila Peterson took to social media this week to announce that Peterson has been forced to postpone his podcasts and reschedule his European tour due to a “severe” onset of symptoms she said is linked to chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS).

“Jordan Peterson is taking some time off of everything,” his daughter wrote in an Aug. 13 X post, saying he has a “genetic predisposition” that results in the immune system’s inability to detect and detoxify mould or bacteria in indoor air.

“He’s pausing the podcast at the moment but we’re hopeful for a somewhat speedy recovery given we at least know what’s going on, and there is treatment, and he’s responding well, although it’s pretty rough.”

She said her father’s ill health is unrelated to his akathisia, a condition characterized by restlessness associated with benzodiazepine withdrawal, and noted he is not currently on any medication. Peterson was diagnosed with akathisia in 2020 and later underwent a benzodiazepine detox in Russia.

Mikhaila Peterson said her father has been battling CIRS since 2017, but the family didn’t know what the problem was at the time. She noted that he has been struggling with the condition even more than usual over the past year but a recent large mould exposure pushed his symptoms over the edge.

“He was exposed to a particularly mouldy environment while helping clean out my grandfather’s house after he passed away, which severely flared symptoms,” she said.

“CIRS is also the explanation behind recent cancelled shows, cancelled events, sporadic appearance of being rundown and general weepiness (caused by pain).”

CIRS is a long-term condition triggered by exposure to biotoxins in water-damaged buildings and is marked by a continuous, dysregulated inflammatory response, according to the National Library of Medicine. It is a multi-symptomatic, multi-system disorder in which the immune system of the body has difficulty eliminating these toxins, resulting in a variety of debilitating symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, and changes in appetite.

Battles and Moving to US

Peterson, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto in psychology, rose to fame through his YouTube lectures, his successful self-help book, “12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos,” and his opposition to the federal government’s Bill C-16, which added the protection of gender identity and expression to the Human Rights Code and Criminal Code.

He has been involved in a long-running battle public battle with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario (CPBAO), the governing body for psychologists in the province, over comments he has made online.

Peterson challenged a 2022 order by the college to undergo remedial social media training or potentially lose his licence to practise psychology in Ontario. The order was issued after the governing body received complaints about a number of Peterson’s social media posts.

The well known author refuted the college’s assertions, saying his comments were not expressed in his professional capacity as a clinical psychologist. While Peterson has been a registered member of the college since 1999, he has not seen any patients since 2017.

Peterson legally challenged the order but ultimately failed in his attempt after the Supreme Court of Canada chose not to hear his case last summer and dismissed it “with costs.” He had promised in a column earlier that year not only to dive into the social media training prescribed by the college if he lost the case, but to “publicize every single bit of it.”

He announced late last year that he had moved to the United States because of his regulatory battles with the college in Ontario and the overall political situation in Canada. It is thought he and his wife settled in Arizona, which is where his daughter lives with her family.