Celebs and drug abuse

[tinatark]

Interesting... I've been thinking about this for the past couple of days -

Since Michael Jackson's death and the resulting speculation of his many years of drug abuse - I never heard of this while he was alive. I remember he spent time in rehab after the bad burns during the Pepsi commercial, but haven't heard anything since.

Never heard this kind of stuff with Heath Ledger or Danny Gans (Las Vegas), either - and both of them died in the same type of situation.

I was very young when Elvis died, so don't know if his drug abuse was widely known at the time of his death. I did read an article that he spent time in the hospital in Memphis for drug rehab, before Betty Ford, Horizons et.al. became buzzwords.

[Micca]

When Elvis died I think a lot of people just assumed he was heavy and unhealthy, but not necessarily a walking Walgreen's.

Drugs are everywhere, but celebs seem to have the resources to support the abuse. It seems they often are surrounded by people who aid in their self-destruction.

[DawnCt1]

In addition, he was/is a dancer and at 50, it isn't unusual for a dancer to have chronic pain. He had chronic back pain. The very sad thing is however, there are wonderful advances in pain management. Demerol is rarely used anymore. He should have had access to the best pain management that wouldn't have left him vulnerable and stuporous. I think he also suffered from chronic depression. He was once asked if he was happy. He said, "I am happy, but I am never satisfied". I think that is very telling.

Edited to add, I question the competency of his so called cardiologist. From the 9/11 call it seems that he was doing CPR on the BED! Unless there is a cardiac board, and piece of solid plywood, etc. CPR on a collapsable, soft surface is useless.

[sharonW]

Media is saying that michael started to use pain
meds at the time he was burned, maybe this is when
the the drug abuse began...sad

[CPT Tripss]

His psyche was a train wreck . . . so many issues that were public and who knows what else. It's no surprise that he abused drugs.

[luvsJack]

For some celebrities, like MJ and Elvis, I think its because of what fame does to them. They become products not people. They cannot have any type of normal existence. Maybe the drugs are an escape from that.

I also think that, at least for the ones using prescription drugs, the people they trust and surround themselves with obviously are not as trustworthy as they think. It was reported that the people around Michael were told for years that his addiction was going to kill him; but no one listened or if they did, didn't do anything to help him.

There is also the fact that fame and sudden wealth gives someone the resources to pretty much do anything they want; and too many times this includes abusing drugs.

[vegasnative]

Dawnct1 said MJ had chronic back pain, well according to Gans' physicans he did also from many years of baseball and his shows. I've heard before that MJ was addicted to pain meds. With that in mind, my dad went for a physical about 4 months ago, my dad will be 67 next Sunday. The doctor that evaluated my dad told him he is an oddity because for someone his age it is rare that they are not on some type of meds. My DH and I were just talking about this very thing because we watched Farrah's Story the other night and I was shocked at the amount of meds she was taking. So I told DH what my dads doctor said, (DH is a firefighter) and he looked at me and said that when they go on medical calls and the person tells them they are not on any meds the firefighters just look at one another with a "wow" expression. He said that it is rare for them to get a call on people decades younger than my dad that are not on meds. So, with people like MJ and now Billy Mays dying at such young ages, it does make you wonder about all these meds.

[luvsJack]

Originally Posted by vegasnative

Dawnct1 said MJ had chronic back pain, well according to Gans' physicans he did also from many years of baseball and his shows. I've heard before that MJ was addicted to pain meds. With that in mind, my dad went for a physical about 4 months ago, my dad will be 67 next Sunday. The doctor that evaluated my dad told him he is an oddity because for someone his age it is rare that they are not on some type of meds. My DH and I were just talking about this very thing because we watched Farrah's Story the other night and I was shocked at the amount of meds she was taking. So I told DH what my dads doctor said, (DH is a firefighter) and he looked at me and said that when they go on medical calls and the person tells them they are not on any meds the firefighters just look at one another with a "wow" expression. He said that it is rare for them to get a call on people decades younger than my dad that are not on meds. So, with people like MJ and now Billy Mays dying at such young ages, it does make you wonder about all these meds.

I agree. I think it is too easy to just get a prescription anymore. I know too many people that just take a pill for anything!! Anxiety meds and anti-depression meds are two that pop in my mind. (I know there are people who really, really need these meds. My mom is one of them. But too many people take them just because life is not the perfect story book that they think it should be.)

I have a bil that is addicted to pain meds. He just goes from dr. to dr. and keeps getting them. And the sad thing is, he really believes he is in pain. There really should be some type of universal system so that these dr.s realize someone like him is getting all these pills.

[Mickeyistheman]

I was listening to Larry King on Friday night and he had Dr. Drew on there along with Deepak Chopra and they were both on the same page and Dr. Drew brought up some good points. He said this is why his clients die. Its from prescription drugs from their own Drs. MJ has been addicted to pain pills for quite some time, I think he had to cancel some shows from his last concert tour several years ago because of it.

Dr. Drew spoke of Britney Spears and he said her family did something very hard BUT they got involved and look at how great she is doing! If they didn't interfere and take the reigns to her the right help and surround her with people who care about her well being more than her celebrity, we might be mourning a different person. She was even able to add on more concert dates as well. We all wanted her to be better and she is.

I think MJ had bad people around him that were advising him the wrong way. Similair to Anna Nicole Smith.

I definately think this needs to be looked into at these Drs that just prescribe these medications. They are just pushing pills as Dr. Drew and Deepak Chopra had said.

[3jsmommy]

Celebrities are often a magnified, extreme version of the population. At least ten percent of Americans are on antidepressants. Now a celebrity is going to have doctors falling all over themselves to "help" celebs feel better, less stressed...whatever.
Once they start taking a psych drug, they probably will have some kind of side effect, sleeplessness, drowsiness, anxiousness, etc...
So they get another prescription to fix that problem, then another. I'm not saying this is always the case but we're seeing it more & more often.
Most psych drugs are pretty much experimental, there is no test to determine someones brain chemistry. There is only so much abuse the human body can take, there are many of the same chemicals in street & presription drugs.
I have heard people say that he had back problems, I've heard about his sad childhood, his fragile persona. You know what I'm sure there are lots of men in prison right now on charges involving drugs or child abuse that could cry a river about their lost childhoods... I won't be shedding any tears for them either.
I feel bad for his kids, I hope they get the help they will need.

[Imzadi]

Originally Posted by DawnCt1

I think he also suffered from chronic depression. He was once asked if he was happy. He said, "I am happy, but I am never satisfied". I think that is very telling.

A little aside: Actually, all true artists, as MJ was, are never satisfied. Here's a quote by dancer/choreographer, Martha Graham:

"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it.

...You have to keep open and aware, directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open... No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction, ever, at any time. There is only a queer, divine, dissatisfaction; a blessed unrest that keeps us marching, and makes us more alive than others."

A true artist needs to keep pushing the envelope, pushing past personal limits. That urge for more is neverending. But, what would make MJ depressed is the inability to produce his music and get it out to the public, during those years he was plagued with so many personal troubles and a negative PR image. For a true artist not to be able to create music, writing, art, is to cut off the hand that makes the art.

It has to get to the public. What makes a true artist different in their relationship to the public versus all these faux, reality TV celebs, is that the the reality TV celebs look at their fame and think, "Oh, look how important I am. They love me."

Whereas, if Michael has been able to look down on the world these past couple days and see how people were milling out into the streets, still doing the moonwalk, his dance to Thriller, still playing and buying his music, he'd say, "They love my music. My music still affects them." He's probably very humbled and pleased.

I heard his producers went in to the Staples Center the next day, and may have confiscated a tape of his last rehearsal, which was 8 hours long. (That may be attributed to his need for more pain killers than usual.) They say it was his best rehearsal & performance, and they may be able to piece together a final concert from those tapes, (if they exist.)

[DisneyBlonde]

Originally Posted by 3jsmommy

Now a celebrity is going to have doctors falling all over themselves to "help" celebs feel better, less stressed

I completely agree with this. Someone else posted that it was reported MJ took one of his children home right after birth, did not even have the infant cleaned off yet, just swaddled him and left. Would any one of us get away with this? There are no rules for someone that big. No one will tell Michael Jackson (Elvis, Madonna, Brittney Spears) "no". It's his celebrity that killed him. So sad.