Stevie's TimeSpace

[AliceLover]

Originally Posted by wheart

Good point. I do remember reading all sorts of glowing reviews during that time period and just scratching my head. I mean, she was horrible on the BTM and TS tours. But I do wonder about one thing. Stevie has said in many interviews that she was "fine" after Betty Ford but her friends/family were worried about her and made her go to a shrink who put her on Klonopin. I can't see Stevie doing anything she doesn't want to do so I have to wonder if she was so "fine", why did she go in the first place? And why agree to start taking such a potent medication? Did her doctor not advise her of the side effects???

I think she was better on BTM/TS tours then TISL tour.

[David]

Originally Posted by AliceLover

David you have to admit the first few months of the BTM tour for her were Awesome. She was really moving on stage, wore mini skirt, and white dresses. Then BOOM she gained 30 pounds!

Yes, you're right & I cede that. At first, she was chipper & bright & clear-eyed & on top of things.

She just doesn't seem to "age" well on tours.

[David]

Originally Posted by Nikolaj

My first thought is one not too profound, but i dont think i've ever seen anyone mention it-- The fact is that cocaine, even in the 70s, wink, is/was illegal. So she says nobody told you that it could be addictive-the fact is that it was an illegal thing to do, and the rock and roll high life was (is?) more appealing than obeying laws, so that alone makes her accountable for her actions. She chose to ignore it was an illegal thing to do...and yes, it was all around LA in the 70s and 80s (coke) but people sure knew before very long that it was addictive, wicked addictive for some.. Richard Pryor setting himself on fire smoking coke circa 1980 and John Belushi's (somewhat) cocaine-related death circa 1982 brought a lot of attention to the demons of cocaine..But the people really enjoying it maybe didn't want to listen.

Yes, I brought up essentially the same point a few months ago here. I pointed out that there were highly publicized cocaine busts at nightclubs like Studio 54 throughout the late disco years.

Stevie -- & everyone else -- knew it was a bad drug. It was a sexy drug, & it was a great high, but everyone still knew it was illegal & harmful.

[jwd]

Originally Posted by StreetAngel86

okay...i've wanted to ask this for a while
especially after the other week when i started watching *that* MTV interview

there's no doubt Stevie has a **** load of people around her.....who work for her, who live with her, her family etc

She's practically anaesthetized to the point of being comatose.

How the hell did they not notice what was happening to her or that it got to a point that it was REALLY REALLY bad.

I mean why didn't anyone do something........did they?
that really shocks me

Have you ever heard the expression, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink? I'm sure that the people around Stevie saw what was happening to her, expresssed their concerns and gave her advice. But ultimately it's up to the individual to actually DO something about it. And that process in itself usually consists of realizing and or admitting you do have a problem and then what you're willing to do about it. It's not a cut and dry situation at all. Only when you look back on it can you see the whole picture.

[Ghost_Tracker]

Originally Posted by StreetAngel86

I was actually referring to Klonopin Stevie not the coked out one
because they were NOT on it....unlike coke & alcohol and stuff like that where u can generalize (i understand what your post meant and i agree)

.

Oh! (*blush* )

Uhmm, I'm not sure at all about that one. I can tell you that Stevie has talked in interviews about thinking she had "Epstein Barr Virus" (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) during this time - maybe they just thought that was the real problem, or that she was depressed (which, i.m.o., she was). Or maybe they felt it was the lesser of two evils - they agreed with the doctor, in principle, that the alternative was her going out and getting into serious trouble again. It kept her home and safe.
Also, I have the impression Stevie's pretty good at putting on a show, if 'ya catch my drift. Maybe no one knew it had really gotten that bad. "Sleeping all day? Well, NOT a problem, there's no TOUR going on, and I need my REST! And I just made a million DOLLARS off of the intial release of "O.S.o.t.M!" Just wrote 5 new SONGS - don't you see these [indecipherable scribblings] in my journal!?" Things are going WONDERFULLY here! ! ! !

Anyway that's the best I can come up with.

[Ghost_Tracker]

Originally Posted by StreetAngel86

you know i've wondered about this too.
i can see the people pleaser part of her personality wanting to do things to appease those around her especially her parents.

however

i know what she SAYS but i don't totally believe it
i used to but the more and more i thought about it
i reckon she probably was clinically depressed at some point

I know she's Stevie Nicks & could probably get wotever she wanted but WHAT the hell doctor would prescribe her meds that she didn't need and if they knew who she was and that she had just come off a coke addiction all the more shame on them

forget the side effects
she's going to a doctor....therapist wotever
obviously getting prescriptions refilled
and they didn't realize how it was f#cking her up and take her OFF it?
I know Stevie says how she was living in a cloud and it's all a blur so I cannot seriously blame her in knowing she had a problem...because in some respect i can see her really not knowing it was her meds making her feel that way. there was a lot of **** going on in her life so you know, it could be a lot of things. but like 5+ years and her doctors didn't stop her refills....?

Well, here's my honest opinion -

I honestly think they knew what they were doing and put more thought into it than you might think. She was still a coke addict, she knew it, they knew it, everybody knew it. Part of being a good Medical Doctor is being street smart, and they knew the score. She WOULD have gone out and gotten on the coke again - and - psst - she had a f'g PORSCHE, remember? And she was drinking at the same time.

They took their chances. Stevie would be dead now if they hadn't done this.

[JWS]

Originally Posted by Ghost_Tracker

Well, here's my honest opinion -

I honestly think they knew what they were doing and put more thought into it than you might think. She was still a coke addict, she knew it, they knew it, everybody knew it. Part of being a good Medical Doctor is being street smart, and they knew the score. She WOULD have gone out and gotten on the coke again - and - psst - she had a f'g PORSCHE, remember? And she was drinking at the same time.

They took their chances. Stevie would be dead now if they hadn't done this.

Ghost, I think you may be right. And maybe the refills were illegally obtained. Thank God Stevie never got started on heroin or speedballs. She would have ended up like Belusi or Joplin for sure.

[wheart]

Originally Posted by AliceLover

I think she was better on BTM/TS tours then TISL tour.

Really? Out of all the boots I own, I think I watch the TISL ones the least. And I still enjoy the BTM/TS shows even though she's completely out of it. They still hold a certain charm and the audiences don't seem to mind at all that's she's zonked out. At least, she's got the boots on That makes up for so much!!

[DavidMn]

Originally Posted by MacMan

Someone actually had the balls to ask Lori this very type of question in the "Ask Lori" section on the nickfix...

[Q&A]

from Greg in San Francisco

Since you and Sharon are so close to Stevie, how come you were unable to prevent her addition to pain killers and cocoaine? How could you NOT notice she was taking drugs?! I haven't heard any statements from you or Sharon taking any responsibility for taking care of someone thousands of people love and care about.

Lori's answer:

Hello Greg...
This is an interesting question, and a very heavy one. It’s also rather personal, and not one that I feel is really any body’s business but mine, Sharon’s, and Stevie’s. However, I will say that when one decides to get into drugs, whether their friends try to stop them or not, if they don’t want to stop, there’s not much anyone can do.... even those who have had interventions. Often times if you push an addict too hard, they cut you out of their life, then making it impossible to help them at all. Ultimately, it is the addict’s choice to stop. I could tell you of many addicts who went to rehab, and overdosed after they came out. Stevie is an extremely strong and determined woman, and no one has ever been able to tell her what to do. She is a woman who makes her own choices, and she is the one who made the choice to stop doing drugs (and smoking, by the way)!

I give her alot of credit for answering that question.

[Sorcerer386]

Originally Posted by Nikolaj

Also, my doctor tells me klonopin is an extremely beneficial drug for many, many people, and she precribes it with confidence (no, I'm not on it, nor want to be, partly because i know of the difficulties Stevie Nicks had with it)--Yet, i also see my doctor's point when i informed her of Stevie's crusade against it..my doc said 'that is SO irresponsible of her. It's a beneficial drug. Because SHE abused it and became addicted to it, that's supposed to negate the fact that the FDA and the medical community recognize when taken as directed that it's an extremely useful medication?" She paused then said: "because a rock star who abused cocaine, alcohol, and who knows what else, and then abused Klonopin, it makes it an evil drug? Grow up, Kolya!" -- I said 'but i don't think its a given that she abused the drug (Klonopin)-- and then my doc said 'I read about the falling into a fireplace and busting her head open while on Klonopin-- that would NOT happen if she herself didn't SELF-over medicate."

I don't know very much about the whole cocaine thing, but as someone with an anxiety disorder, I've come to know a thing or two about downers. First of all, they are addictive at really ANY amount. I take two little .25 mg xanax pills a day, one in the afternoon and one in the evening, and I'm finding that the only reason I need to take them anymore is because if I don't take my afternoon one by like, 8:00, my head gets fuzzy, I get dizzy, and I become a raving psychopath. So the doctor saying "just because SHE became addicted to it" is a little wrong because anyone will get addicted if it's prescribed for a lengthy period of time. HOWEVER, xanax, or klonopin which is in the same drug category, can be so helpful it's scary, albeit in certain situations. When I was at my worst, xanax was like my saving grace. But here's where the problem came for Stevie...she didn't have an anxiety disorder. Unless she was sitting at home having panic attacks every couple of hours, sleeping about one hour each night and waking up soaked in sweat, or even just nervous to the point that she couldn't leave the house, then she shouldn't have been put on it, and if SO, then only for six months at the most. The reason I believe her, or at least can see her blaming the doctor, is that the doctor kept giving her the pills for years, until she passed out and hit her head which lead her to go to Exodus. The doctors should have seen this coming a mile away, especially since her audience saw such traits as far back as '89. The one scary thing I will say is, I believe she could have passed out and not been "abusing" the meds, just using them as prescribed, IF she didn't get much sleep. These meds really take a toll on your equilibrium, and I've had days where I could have passed out. Plus, if she was drinking wine, that's ten times worse. Thursday night I took a shot of vodka and felt literally drunk for about ten minutes. It's strange, that feeling comes and goes so quickly, but for a short period RIGHT after, I feel completely drunk.

To conclude, I'd like to reiterate that these meds are extremely useful in the right situations. But I think doctors give them out way too easily, ESPECIALLY anti-depressants. All you have to do is go to the doctor, say "I've been depressed for a while," and BAM! Here, take some Paxil, here's some Welbutrin, Celexa, Effexor, Lexapro, Serzone, Prozac, etc. Oh, you're having a little anxiety? Take this xanax every day. But then, I can see their point because if they don't, and the person does something stupid, then of course the family will blame the doctor, which will get me into a whole other discussion.

[David]

Originally Posted by Sorcerer386

The doctors should have seen this coming a mile away, especially since her audience saw such traits as far back as '89.

I was the only one. But I opted not to warn Stevie's managers because I don't know who they are or where they dine out.

[BlackWidow]

Originally Posted by MacMan

Someone actually had the balls to ask Lori this very type of question in the "Ask Lori" section on the nickfix...

[Q&A]

from Greg in San Francisco

Since you and Sharon are so close to Stevie, how come you were unable to prevent her addition to pain killers and cocoaine? How could you NOT notice she was taking drugs?! I haven't heard any statements from you or Sharon taking any responsibility for taking care of someone thousands of people love and care about.

Lori's answer:

Hello Greg...
This is an interesting question, and a very heavy one. It’s also rather personal, and not one that I feel is really any body’s business but mine, Sharon’s, and Stevie’s. However, I will say that when one decides to get into drugs, whether their friends try to stop them or not, if they don’t want to stop, there’s not much anyone can do.... even those who have had interventions. Often times if you push an addict too hard, they cut you out of their life, then making it impossible to help them at all. Ultimately, it is the addict’s choice to stop. I could tell you of many addicts who went to rehab, and overdosed after they came out. Stevie is an extremely strong and determined woman, and no one has ever been able to tell her what to do. She is a woman who makes her own choices, and she is the one who made the choice to stop doing drugs (and smoking, by the way)!

I was just about to post this..THANK YOU!!!

[StreetAngel86]

Originally Posted by Ghost_Tracker

Oh! (*blush* )

Also, I have the impression Stevie's pretty good at putting on a show, if 'ya catch my drift. Maybe no one knew it had really gotten that bad. "Sleeping all day? Well, NOT a problem, there's no TOUR going on, and I need my REST! And I just made a million DOLLARS off of the intial release of "O.S.o.t.M!" Just wrote 5 new SONGS - don't you see these [indecipherable scribblings] in my journal!?" Things are going WONDERFULLY here! ! ! !

Anyway that's the best I can come up with.

that's right of COURSE....she's an actress but we'd never really know

i can SO see her showing off her scribble
'Karen, mom look this is the next Rhiannon....i've called her Greta Jane Alice'

Originally Posted by Ghost_Tracker

Well, here's my honest opinion -

I honestly think they knew what they were doing and put more thought into it than you might think. She was still a coke addict, she knew it, they knew it, everybody knew it. Part of being a good Medical Doctor is being street smart, and they knew the score. She WOULD have gone out and gotten on the coke again - and - psst - she had a f'g PORSCHE, remember? And she was drinking at the same time.

They took their chances. Stevie would be dead now if they hadn't done this.

i totally forget about Stevie on the road
Stevie zonked out driving down Mulholland or some **** highway

[danax6]

As someone who has lived around an addict for a long, long time now, I can safely say it is not easy to force that person to get the help they need. No way. Lori is right when she says the addict needs to realize at first that he or she has a problem, otherwise pretty much nothing will help them. Certainly not bystanders.

[GiniLeaE]

I can imagine being on a drug on the advice of a doctor and having the side effects do more harm than good...it happened to me. It wasn't the same as in Stevie's case, but for migraines.

My neurologist prescribed a tri-cyclic antidepressant at a low dose to prevent migraines (Pamelor is the brand name) but he didn't advise that I would gain over 60 pounds and have serious neurologic side effects. Last summer I finally decided I was tired of battling the side effects, after I found out about a new alternative. I just started on the anti-seizure (epilepsy) drug Topamax 6 months ago that was recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of migraines (it also helps you lose weight!). Since then I've lost 50 pounds. It has less side effects, but this time I am more informed. Only because I am a biologist who researched the drug, and because my pharmacist cousin told me of alternatives did I have a clue.

In Stevie's case, I assume she trusted everyone around her...especially her doctors, as did I. In this day in time, you have to be your own advocate in your treatment. Back in those days, that wasn't as much of an option.