Jordan Peterson is BACK. Like him, I have been prescribed “safe” (my doctor tells me) but controversial meds at times. And yet those that know me would agree that with a plethora of miscues, backward stumbles, and outright traits that seem to piss people off somehow, I honestly do my best to seek and serve Jesus and his calling with all of my heart.
Jordan Peterson–known for his unassailable rhetoric, uncouth language, and ruthless convictions to what REALLY matters, had an epic comeback this year. It began with a short video describing his descent into Benzodiazepine Hell. Valium. He was prescribed it in 2017–a very normal and usually safe anti-anxiety drug and one the most popular drugs of choice at the time.
He began, and like millions of other people, and like a good patient, he took it every day. Here is a good overview of what medical publications say about Valium:
Here is how Valium was medically reviewed by Philip Thornton, DipPharm. on Dec 14, 2021.
“Valium (diazepam) is a benzodiazepine (ben-zoe-dye-AZE-eh-peen). It is thought that diazepam works by enhancing the activity of certain neurotransmitters in the brain.
Valium is used to treat anxiety disorders, or alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
Valium is sometimes used with other medications to treat muscle spasms and stiffness, or seizures.
Warnings
You should not use Valium if you are allergic to diazepam, or similar medicines (Ativan, Klonopin, Xanax, and others), or if you have myasthenia gravis, severe liver disease, narrow-angle glaucoma, a severe breathing problem, or sleep apnea.
Diazepam can slow or stop your breathing, especially if you have recently used an opioid medication or alcohol.
MISUSE OF THIS MEDICINE CAN CAUSE ADDICTION, OVERDOSE, OR DEATH. Keep the medication in a place where others cannot get to it.
Do not stop using this medicine without asking your doctor. You may have life-threatening withdrawal symptoms if you stop using the medicine suddenly after long-term use. Some withdrawal symptoms may last up to 12 months or longer.
Get medical help right away if you stop using Valium and have symptoms such as: unusual muscle movements, being more active or talkative, sudden and severe changes in mood or behavior, confusion, hallucinations, seizures, or thoughts about suicide.”
I’ve had 12 major joint surgeries in the last 25 years, including 5 hip replacements. Arthritis is basically everywhere, but it began in my lower spine..as it did with both my parents and all 3 of my siblings.
After going through all but one of the pre-replacement surgical modalities out there–which worked for a while but then didn’t–I’m prepping now to receive dual electrical stimulators implanted in my cervical and lumbar spine regions to selectively manage and reduce off pain.
The popular pain med pre or post-surgery is Vicodin. You may have taken it. After years of battling pain management between bad drug reactions and managing work and relationships (poorly sometimes), my pain doctor (physical medicine MD) wanted me to try Oxy plus Tylenol or Percocet. I was kind of freaked out at first, but he flatly said,
“Art, you are allergic to Vicodin and both drugs work the same but some are allergic to one or the other.”
So he carefully switched me over, and it worked far better–without addiction or disabling side effects! The wiring implants might let me drop the drug entirely, though I’m on a fairly low dose now. tried it, and–boom–no bad reactions. However, I’m more easily distracted and ditsier at times.
Does JP know Jesus? I doubt it, but let’s be slow to judge what only God sees. With an IQ score of 156 (“genius” starts at 136), he is on another planet. . .its hard to tell how a mind so science-bent can defeat the smartest Atheist in the world before millions of live and online viewers, but he does. It still remains that, in my opinion, the recent reversal of millennials opting out of Christianity has millions of the same demographic–especially young men–buying Bibles and returning back to church.
Have you seen him interviewed when he breaks down and cries–weeps when asked why so many young men call him the father they never had? It is the real deal of emotion. If not a Believer, God has given him a heart for the fatherless like no other Christian leader I’ve seen.
He definitely has not had the benefit of any kind of evangelical orientation, experience, or mentoring. He does not use churchy words.
My practical theology 30 years ago–when I was a young pastor–was often off and sometimes unloving. Today that younger Art would be intolerable for me to break bread with!
Lots of things are not black or white with God. Nor were they for Jesus–or his Apostle, Paul. His thorny ailment (anything from chronic pain, insomnia to lust–no one knows), he, like us, prayed for healing and then stopped after 3 attempts. God said something like, “suck it up-I’ve got this in you–trust me.”
These kinds of things don’t DQ us from a ministry like theft, abuse, or adultery.
I’ve gone through cycles of alienation with 3 of my 5 sons after they moved out. My wife and I have had some doozies too. Do I drop out of God’s call and commissioning because of shame (Satan’s substitute for guilt)-or of what others may think of me? Nope. Neither does JP.
Thankfully, neither does Jesus Christ–if you know Him. In the midst of the darkest hour, under the ministration of the saddest of all Prophetic writers of the latter Old Testament, Jeremiah, in his Lamentations, just finished penning the lines that describe how horrible the end game had become for those in the once shining city of Jerusalem, where evil women were so hungry that they were boiling their own babies for soup.
Then he writes;
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases–His mercies never comes to an end. For they are new every morning! Great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23
As we move into the new year, let’s remember to thank God for–and cover with prayer–the lonely and courageous voices of reason and right-thinking like Jordan Peterson.
Recent Comments