What could we expect.

[Diane]

I think it was simply a matter of Elvis feeling he needed the pills to be able to cope with his life and career, just as alcoholics do and both feel they are in complete control which of course they are not...they are controlled by the substances they use. Some addicts get a wake-up call, some don't and he didn't, at least not in time.

Diane

[SleepyJack]

I think it would have been difficult to get Elvis off the prescribed drugs,he justified them to himself too easily....he would have had plenty of good reasons for them(as far as he was concerned)....if he had been doing the "Rock`n`Roll" drugs,in a big way...then maybe it would have been easier to show him his problem...or let him have his own scares.Sometimes,I think people don`t realise how much he knew about drugs.....lots.

[utmom2008]

IF he had any psychological evaluation , it's been hidden and I have my doubts it will ever be known. For some reason, these types of illnesses were frowned upon then and were kept hidden .{even today} Mores the pity, as many could have been helped , both then and now.

I enjoyed the man , his laughter and his music. I'll just have to be content with that .

Don't faint and fall in the floor Cameron, but I agree with you!

[cameron]

Don't faint and fall in the floor Cameron, but I agree with you!

Too late, I'm a gonner .

[utmom2008]

Too late, I'm a gonner .

[KPM]

I did not know that bi-polar and manic depressive was the same thing, just a modern name for the same problem??? I have to admit my ignorance about this. All I know about any type of depressives is what I have witnessed in knowing someone with the problem.

My husband's cousin was diagnosed as a manic depressive and if she wasn't on her meds, she would disappear for weeks, she made up tall stories, she lied and she looked perfectly normal when doing it. It was very hard to know whether she was telling the truth or not. We would find out from other members of the family what really happened.

I also worked as secretary for a lady who ran her husband's construction company and she was very similar, tall tales and outright lying. She would have me set up a new filing system and before it was done, would decide to have it done another way on and on. In the year and a half I worked for her, the filing system was still not complete. I dont even want to talk about what she wanted done with the payroll....I couldn't take anymore....I left. I liked her but dealing with her as an employee was impossible...we just stayed friends afterwards.

So knowing these people and dealing with them, I cannot see any resemblance to Elvis' personality. I guess he could have been a milder case, not for me to judge as I'm certainly not an expert.

Diane

Unfortunately it is so hard to know when someone is just "peculiar" or when they really have a problem such as this one we are talking about. But its safe to say when you are dealing with how the mind works and how it goes off kilter that it is pretty varied in its effect and severity from person to person.
I noticed some of the signs of Manic depressants were alcohol abuse and drug abuse, extravagance etc...some of these things would be right up Elvis's alley- so to speak. Dr. Nick had him on some form of anti-depressants for years , ELAVIL is one that I recall Nick saying he had him on.

[KPM]

In fact it is very simple.

And don't hate me for sayin this, cuz Elvis always was part of my life.

But he did it to himself. No matter what anyone says to an addict in any form, will help. In 99 out of 100 cases they think they know what they are doing.

In Elvis' case, the fast life, the having meds had no limit. On top of that he needed them (or thought he did) to perform.

That is what killed him.

I would never hate anyone for an opinion.
But- IMO no one knowingly sets out to become an addict. Some people are prone to addictions and I have pointed this out in other threads with some medical quotes on addictions, some gene research which has found addictions can be traced to heritage etc. People who are prone to addictions don't set out to get addicted-it happens and they for the most part don't believe it -"I can quit anytime I want" is a frequent reply to questions about over use and abuse of substances.
So I think its something a blanket statement of any kind does not cover completely.

[Diane]

Oh shoot KPM, didn't know that either about Dr. Nick prescribing anti-depressants for Elvis and they themselves I've heard can cause a multitude of problems too...as in Prozac etc.

Diane

[cameron]

In all fairness ; I don't think any Elvis site would or could be up to discussing and examining the individual medications that Elvis was prescribed . Unless it was just set up for that purpose.
Of which, I belong to two and I tend to forget where I am sometimes ,

[KPM]

Oh shoot KPM, didn't know that either about Dr. Nick prescribing anti-depressants for Elvis and they themselves I've heard can cause a multitude of problems too...as in Prozac etc.

Diane

Got this off the web:
Dr Nick prescribed all of Elvis's regular tour drugs. Elvis had 14 different drugs in him when he died. The list of what they found at autopsy was: Codeine - Morphine - Quaaludes - Valium - Diazepam - Placidyl - Amytal - Nembutal - Carbrital - Demerol - Sinutab - Elavil - Avental - Valmid
All of there I highlighted have something to do with inducing sleep or anxiety problems Elavil is an anti-depressant. I looked all of them up because I am not an expert on them either.
I have taken Elavil and it did not help my depression at the time-I did not like it at all.

[Diane]

Thanks for the information on the drugs KPM. I've only taken two valiums in my life late in my teens when the doctors were prescribing them for almost everything and I didn't like the sluggish feeling I got from them so dumped them down the commode. I've battled any depression I've had since on my own and it's never been fun but I hate pills and don't trust doctors so I just wait them out.

I've had 3 different prescriptions pulled off the market in the last four years and that's enough for me to take only what is absolutely necessary and I hate even to do that...I'm asthmatic and have been since childhood so no choice there if I want to breathe. Advil is my only other friend and I'm careful with it.

Diane

[KPM]

Thanks for the information on the drugs KPM. I've only taken two valiums in my life late in my teens when the doctors were prescribing them for almost everything and I didn't like the sluggish feeling I got from them so dumped them down the commode. I've battled any depression I've had since on my own and it's never been fun but I hate pills and don't trust doctors so I just wait them out.

I've had 3 different prescriptions pulled off the market in the last four years and that's enough for me to take only what is absolutely necessary and I hate even to do that...I'm asthmatic and have been since childhood so no choice there if I want to breathe. Advil is my only other friend and I'm careful with it.

Diane

I agree, for every benefit that drug companies advertise for their products there are a dozen side effects to weigh. Plus there is the unknown of what possible problems may be found 5 over 10 years down the line. I have had to take some regular medicines in the past, but for the last 5 years I am taking nothing. I have "white coat itis" so doctors and hospitals are my least favorite things.

[cameron]

Got this off the web:
Dr Nick prescribed all of Elvis's regular tour drugs. Elvis had 14 different drugs in him when he died. The list of what they found at autopsy was: Codeine - Morphine - Quaaludes - Valium - Diazepam - Placidyl - Amytal - Nembutal - Carbrital - Demerol - Sinutab - Elavil - Avental - Valmid
All of there I highlighted have something to do with inducing sleep or anxiety problems Elavil is an anti-depressant. I looked all of them up because I am not an expert on them either.
I have taken Elavil and it did not help my depression at the time-I did not like it at all.

Almost everyone of those meds. are depressants . Interesting ,huh ?