Latest on MJJC

Did Michael let us down with his drug addiction?

LindaC781 said:
Well, just paint me pink and call me "human". I would be let down...because I believed Michael when he said he never did that stuff...
Click to expand...
Which would explain why some members and some fans don't want to hear any talk on the possibility of MJ's prescription drug problems or having to use such drugs to sleep.

I think that we first of all need to view Michael Jackson as human as well. At one time in his life, he never did do that kind of stuff. But then he had that terrible fire accident as well as other physical problems, as well as the stresses of those allegations and people change.

I think that if we say we love MJ, then we have to also accept all of who he was, even if we don't condone or agree with it.
 
If Michael was addicted or using in any way, then we should show him compasssion, not judgement.

You never know what you would do if you had gone through what he had go through.
 
What I am saying is this. Yes, he did admit to prescription pain medication addiction back in 1993....which doesn't mean he totally beat it. For those of you in denial, don't let it be a shock to you if it is found out what he actually died of. I am disappointed, but keeping my eyes and mind open. Yes, he's human. And yes, he does or did deserve our compassion. But compassion doesn't mean turning a blind eye to a problem. He needed intervention, and he turned it down.
 
here's the thing with Mike and 'his insomnia', I've been experiencing insomnia myself and for 2 months I'm having a hard time sleeping I was begging my mom for something coz' I just want rest! I thank my mom for not giving me pills or whtever medication she knew better.

know in Mike's case I somehow understand if he's addicted to these medications, this guy--God knows what he's been through--I have no legal issues, lawsuits and a family yet I cried like hell when I was unable to sleep, now Imagine Michael going all through this.

and c'mon his not like taking drugs coz' he wants to get high he's taking 'em coz' he wants rest......sadly got a permanent one. *sigh*

Rest Michael.
 
He needed intervention, and he turned it down.
Click to expand...
well that was 2002 he obviously got over that probably when ppl like weisenr and co were kicked out. i remember reading reports that they were pushing crap on him.nothing would surprise me when u think of what went on with signing rights over to konitzer and weisner around 2002/03
 
LindaC781 said:
What I am saying is this. Yes, he did admit to prescription pain medication addiction back in 1993....which doesn't mean he totally beat it. For those of you in denial, don't let it be a shock to you if it is found out what he actually died of. I am disappointed, but keeping my eyes and mind open. Yes, he's human. And yes, he does or did deserve our compassion. But compassion doesn't mean turning a blind eye to a problem. He needed intervention, and he turned it down.
Click to expand...

I don't think that anyone is suggesting that people are blind to his problems by being compassionate because one can be both compassionate to MJ as a person, and be fully aware of his shortcomings. But the question being posed here is whether MJ let US down with his problems and I still would have to say no, because they were his problems.

In my mind, someone who would conclude that MJ 'let them down' may have an unrealistic perception of the man in that he was put on a pedestal of perfection when in actuality, he was far from it.

And for some, it's a form of rejection -- the very thing MJ feared the most in life. So I can see him keeping up a facade just not to have to face the disapproval.
 
It makes me sad when people say that they feel let down by Michael. He did admit he was addicted to these mediacations, and went to get some help. I mean he didn't have to announce he was addicted all the time, those are private issues. Since I work in a pharmacy I see alot of people addicted to prescription mediacation, especially old rich people. I don't think they are taking them to be high, but beacuse the doctors are exploiting them for money. This old lady came to my pharmacy two days ago crying and saying that she was in so much back pain, that she had to use these control substances, but now beacme addicted. She said it was the doctor's fault, for not informing her of the damage.
 
i think the title of this thread suggests that people have confirmed for a fact that MJ is associated with a lifelong drug addiction. there is no confirmation on that, nor does ANYONE know enough about Michael to determine that. and the fact that that kind of title is allowed while some other stuff isn't allowed(like the media and government can lie a lot about MJ), is a travesty. even tho this is a speculation section. even if it is unintended, we can be lending the media a hand in spreading the hate, toward MJ, that this section is supposed to prevent.
 
mello1 said:
In my mind, someone who would conclude that MJ 'let them down' may have an unrealistic perception of the man in that he was put on a pedestal of perfection when in actuality, he was far from it.

And for some, it's a form of rejection -- the very thing MJ feared the most in life. So I can see him keeping up a facade just not to have to face the disapproval.
Click to expand...

Well said. While we don't know anything for sure yet, it kind of bothers me to see how many fans don't even seem to consider the possibility of Michael having become addicted again. They are talking about "giving him the benefit of the doubt", but between the lines you can clearly see the judmental attitude they are taking towards anyone abusing drugs. I certainly believe that people, including Michael, should be held responsible for their actions, but talking about drug abuse merely as a moral issue won't help us to understand him any better. And when I see posts like that here, I can understand so well, why Michael, IF he had an addiction, found it so hard to come forward and talk about it. He knew he would be judged again, not only by press, but also by some of the fans.
 
MJs Soulmate said:
Well said. While we don't know anything for sure yet, it kind of bothers me to see how many fans don't even seem to consider the possibility of Michael having become addicted again. They are talking about "giving him the benefit of the doubt", but between the lines you can clearly see the judmental attitude they are taking towards anyone abusing drugs. I certainly believe that people, including Michael, should be held responsible for their actions, but talking about drug abuse merely as a moral issue won't help us to understand him any better. And when I see posts like that here, I can understand so well, why Michael, IF he had an addiction, found it so hard to come forward and talk about it. He knew he would be judged again, not only by press, but also by some of the fans.
Click to expand...

i think that's a completely unfair statement. i did drugs. there now. i confessed it. but i didn't have an addiction. i tried them, and i found them disgusting.

i think that being sympathetic and saying MJ was a drug addict is a judgement on him. i think that blanketing everybody into reacting the same when it comes to taking drugs is a judgemental attitude, because you're still following in the media's tendencies to say he is a drug addict.

also, i think MJ was never afraid to confess anything. his feeling about children got him into a lot of unwarranted trouble. but he had no trouble telling his true feelings about that. he talked about morphine in a song. so he confessed it, but it was for good reason. great pain. not addiction. i think saying he was far from perfect is a loaded statement. why is it a sin to say someone led an exemplory life. MJ's life is exemplory. this is not a moral platitude. it's a fact. and it's not putting him on a pedestal. it doesn't matter what fans say. it has never affected what MJ thought of himself. it has never affected MJ's decisions. he's not someone affected by other peoples' suggestions. MJ's world is completely different from ours. so let's be honest. we can't compare our thinking to his.
 
it hasnt been confirmed he died of an overdose,and if that is the case then no im not let down by michael. Hes a human being with faults and problems like every1 else. He didnt owe me or any1 else on this board a thing. Addiction is a serious problem,and he was man enough to admit his problem back in 93 and even went into treatment. I honestly dont believe he was addicted to painkillers,but i do feel he was taking something for pain and sleeping.Rehearsing the long hours and business meetings and recording 2 albums all @ 1 time may have takin a toll on him and he may have needed somethng to help him.
 
vncwilliam said:
i think that being sympathetic and saying MJ was a drug addict is a judgement on him. i think that blanketing everybody into reacting the same when it comes to taking drugs is a judgemental attitude, because you're still following in the media's tendencies to say he is a drug addict.
Click to expand...

The thing is, I have not and never will call Michael a "drug addict". No matter what the results of the autopsies will be, I do not want to label him into any one category like that. Yes, I recognize the possibility that Michael may have had a problem with prescription drugs, just like his family and friends seem to be recognizing, so it is not just the media anymore. However, the wording matters to me here. Calling Michael a drug addict would be labeling Michael, his whole persona, based on his addiction and yes, it would be judgemental. That is exactly what I want to avoid. It just seems to me that even the possibility of a drug addiction would make some fans forget all the good qualities in Michael and instead he would become "just a drug addict". I will always remember Michael as a great artist, a good human being and a wonderful father. Those are the things that matter to me and the reasons why I love him. Him having an addiction would not make me love him any less, just feel sad because of all the pain he had to experience.
vncwilliam said:
also, i think MJ was never afraid to confess anything.
Click to expand...
Again, using the word "confess" makes addiction sound like it was a sin. Just because Michael has talked about his previous addiction openly, doesn't mean he was ready to do it this time. It would have been a lot more difficult now, when the whole world was waiting for his comeback tour. He finally had a chance to show the fans and the doubters, even his children, what he was still capable of. Maybe he assumed that many people would feel let down, if he admitted to a problem. Perhaps he didn't even want to admit it to himself. I really don't know. What I do know, is that I want to prepare myself for all possible outcomes of the autopsy results. I think it would mean a lot to Michael to know there are people, who love him as he is, whether or not he had an addiction, instead of being his fans only on the condition of him being able to fulfill their super-human expectations and fantasies.
 
MJs Soulmate said:
The thing is, I have not and never will call Michael a "drug addict". No matter what the results of the autopsies will be, I do not want to label him into any one category like that. Yes, I recognize the possibility that Michael may have had a problem with prescription drugs, just like his family and friends seem to be recognizing, so it is not just the media anymore. However, the wording matters to me here. Calling Michael a drug addict would be labeling Michael, his whole persona, based on his addiction and yes, it would be judgemental. That is exactly what I want to avoid. It just seems to me that even the possibility of a drug addiction would make some fans forget all the good qualities in Michael and instead he would become "just a drug addict". I will always remember Michael as a great artist, a good human being and a wonderful father. Those are the things that matter to me and the reasons why I love him. Him having an addiction would not make me love him any less, just feel sad because of all the pain he had to experience.

Again, using the word "confess" makes addiction sound like it was a sin. Just because Michael has talked about his previous addiction openly, doesn't mean he was ready to do it this time. It would have been a lot more difficult now, when the whole world was waiting for his comeback tour. He finally had a chance to show the fans and the doubters, even his children, what he was still capable of. Maybe he assumed that many people would feel let down, if he admitted to a problem. Perhaps he didn't even want to admit it to himself. I really don't know. What I do know, is that I want to prepare myself for all possible outcomes of the autopsy results. I think it would mean a lot to Michael to know there are people, who love him as he is, whether or not he had an addiction, instead of being his fans only on the condition of him being able to fulfill their super-human expectations and fantasies.
Click to expand...

i think you may be assuming that i wouldn't accept him, if something less than superhuman was revealed(assuming the media and government are telling the truth). you would be wrong if you are assuming that. but what people keep assuming is that if they see MJ as exemplory, that means they would not accept something less. that is wrong, too.

i accept him, no matter what, but i believe his life is an exemplary life. i think it's harder for some people to accept that his life is exemplary, and i'm baffled, as to why(except that some in the media may have seen their own issues in the mirror when comparing them to MJ's achievments, and they felt bad about themselves, but i tried drugs and i still don't have a problem with MJs exemplary life, so they have no excuse) . and, i think my use of the word 'confess' is misconstrued. what i meant was that MJ can't be mistaken for someone untruthful. it's more fitting to see MJ being associated with fearlessness. i don't see his temporary need for morphine, due to great pain, as a sin. and i certainly don't see his interaction with children as a sin.
 
Last edited:
Thank you for explaining, vncwilliam, you put it very well now and I understand what you mean. My first post was not directed at you specifically, although I can see, why you wanted to reply.
 
LindaC781 said:
I would be personally let down by his drug abuse. And the constant denials over it. Yeah, I agree - he is human...but to mislead fans like that....I am disappointed. I would have wanted him to be as natural as possible...no drugs, no drinking, no smoking....cause that's how I am. I detest people abusing drugs. Any type of drugs.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your honesty. I understand that this happens to most people in rock n roll, but i never considered Michael to be like them. Just speculating again! Since we dont know the truth yet.

Im not trying to put myself on a pedestal, i have experienced drug addiction aswell. Im just saying that millions of people dont look up to me as their hero.
 
Last edited:
people have faults whether they are looked up to or not. he doesn't owe anybody shit, he gave more than he had to. how can you be dissapointed by someones short comings, he hurt himself, not us. we all have failures, and who are we to be disappointed anyway, what right does anyone have to tell someone else they must be perfect and exactly the way we expect them to be. don't be so precious.
 
Goodbye Michael said:
people have faults whether they are looked up to or not. he doesn't owe anybody shit, he gave more than he had to. how can you be dissapointed by someones short comings, he hurt himself, not us. we all have failures, and who are we to be disappointed anyway, what right does anyone have to tell someone else they must be perfect and exactly the way we expect them to be. don't be so precious.
Click to expand...


yep i totally agree.. we cant build a mental picture of someone in our head (someone we havent even got to know) and then be dissapointed when this "fake" person doesnt reach the image WE created them to fit

but at the same time..MJ himself said in Moonwalk.. about how he felt "cheated" that Monroe and Hendrix had died young. he said he felt cheated as a fan about what might have been later in their careers.. what more he could have appreciated. I think we have a right to feel this way too
 
MJJ2theMAX said:
yep i totally agree.. we cant build a mental picture of someone in our head (someone we havent even got to know) and then be dissapointed when this "fake" person doesnt reach the image WE created them to fit

but at the same time..MJ himself said in Moonwalk.. about how he felt "cheated" that Monroe and Hendrix had died young. he said he felt cheated as a fan about what might have been later in their careers.. what more he could have appreciated. I think we have a right to feel this way too
Click to expand...

oh yeah i agree i feel cheated, i'd love to see what he could have created...i'd love that he would have had many more years to "razzle dazzle" us. but he was who he was faults and all. many thanks for what magic we did get to experience. ;)
 
Michael's life when he wrote MoonWalker was very, very different to his later life.

The stress of the first accusations and later the trial must have been such an awful expereince for him, I can't find the words that would describe what he went through. After that time I believe he understood why people take drugs or prescription medications to give themselves relief from what can be an extremely cruel world.
 
:angel:MJ didnt need intervention as he was not an addict
he needed help which he didnt get
he wasnt addicted to sleeping pills and sedatives, he was dependant on that....worlds apart.

I said it before I will say it again, the sleeping pills and the sedatives is only "result" that is not where it started..and if all goes fine the coroner report will prove this.:angel:
 
I would not feel let down at all by Michael if he had a drug addiction. It can happen to anyone.

I do not believe Michael had a drug addiction either.
 
NOT AT ALL! Period.
He suffered great pain alone.
I wish we could have given him more support and love.

thanks for asking.
 
nope, because it wasn't his choice to die. it was some fucked up, incompetent doctor's fault. sure if he O.D'd on heroin/morphine in recreational/personal use, but I honestly believe Michael was just trying to seek a good night's sleep :(
 
Last edited:
No way! Let us down? What kind of question? To us he was an artist, he did his job more than well, perfect. As his private life is concerned, I don't think we have anything to do with it. Of course, he was and still is a big inspiration to others but still...privacy is privacy, everyone deserves a private life. Drugs are no good, we all know that. But do we really have any kind of idea or feeling of what he was enduring in his life that made him take these things? Unbelievable what he endured!
Myself, I would have loved him to get some help in some way much earlier...but now I can only sigh and be sad...
 
when i hear drugs i think cocaine and stuff like that ... his addiction (if any ..somehow i still doubt it was a choice of his like ... "i want to use this or that drug because it..." ) is rather induced by people who knew what those substances were and what effects they have. Michael did however cried for help ... does anyone recall morphine ? i remember this was one of the songs that made me cry for him at that time... makes me feel stupid not to have brought this up while we could have a word on that ... it's too late now.
 
Cocaine and heroin are drugs sought out by people to feel better, prescription medication comes to people via injury or illness. Someone who would never look at taking cocaine etc, can be given a drug that makes them feel so good they get addicited.

Prescription drugs are addicitve. I was given a mild sleeping pill when I could not rest and it is very hard to give up. The peace you feel when you take it. The calm you feel on waking is (well was for me) amazing. I weaned myself off of them but I always think wistfully of them and if I could get hold of them easily believe me I would, as weak as that makes me sound.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top