The Next Generation

Mikhaila Peterson Opens Up About Her Health Struggles | #69

Mar 9, 2026
Mikhaila Peterson, co-founder of the Peterson Academy and creator of the Lion Diet, shares her long battle with chronic illness and years on antidepressants. She recounts harsh withdrawal, debates the chemical imbalance idea, and describes dietary and lifestyle approaches she found helpful. The conversation covers prescribing culture, youth mental health trends, resilience, and calls for better medical practices.
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ADVICE

Use A Hyperbolic Taper To Minimize Withdrawal

  • If tapering off SSRIs, seek a hyperbolic taper and a clinician familiar with small percentage reductions rather than abrupt cuts.
  • Hyperbolic taper reduces dose by fixed percentages so the final micro-doses avoid huge receptor changes.
INSIGHT

Depression As An Energy Deficit Problem

  • Mikhaila proposes depression may be an energy/mitochondrial problem rather than a simple serotonin deficiency.
  • She links improvements on ketogenic diets and mold exposure history to mitochondrial dysfunction affecting mood.
ANECDOTE

Two Years Of Harrowing SSRI Withdrawal

  • After stopping SSRIs in 2015, Mikhaila had intense withdrawal: hallucinations, sound/light sensitivity, skin pain, months of crying and two years of neurological symptoms.
  • A strict ketogenic/carnivore-like diet partially controlled symptoms during that period.
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