TopazGirl said:

Bunsterdk said:

mimi1956 said: Thanks - yeah, this very good point is made in comments to the second article as well. One picture seems to be from the Black Sweat video, doesn't it? They wouldn't have used a flash light for that, but definitely strong lights of course. I saw footage from around a year ago where I am certain he was under the influence of something. It was so painful to watch that I won't share the link, sorry. He would have hated to be seen like that, and it's had me down in the dumps for a couple of days now. Trying to erase it from my mind. Something was definitely going on over the last year or two. It is really plain to see in his eyes - the expression, not the pupils.

When he appeared on the American Music Awards in November 2015, his expression seemed kind of frozen (not sure how to say it exactly) and his eyes had an unusual kind of wide open, vacant look. It's easy to say this in hindsight, however. And I've said this before, but the actual video of him moving around and talking it is not as noticeable, but the still shots is where you notice it more as well as the drawn look of his face. He just did not seem relaxed when he was on stage.

To me he looked haunted.

gatorgirl said:

I have a lot issues with this article. I feel she is trying to transpose her life and Prince's life and the truth is we have no clue what really happened to him or why. Given he seemed to lose weight only in the last year or so I think his issues were rather recent. I also think he had other conditions besides just arthritis from performing which caused him pain. As for his pupils, that is from lighting as basically all photos of him used a flash. That is a massive stretch to say he has has drug issues for 25-30 years based on his eyes in photographs.

Exactly what I said.

ACharmed1 said:

Hi to all, I'm new posting here but since P's passing found a strange comfort in the posts and family that's here. Thank U all, U've made me smile many times and brought a bit of clairty which is what I hope to do now. This "article" and I use that term loosely has done it for me I can't take anymore.

The term of addiction IMHO needs to stop with P. Dependency I can accept and understand. I have a lot of experience with the pain medications P was KNOWN to take. My mom has cancer, and many other issues, my dad has cancer, I have multiple health issues in which I have to take said meds. In addition I'm also a photographer, I've covered many live acts been around many artists and this notion that it's all there in his pupils is insane.

Go to the eye Dr what's 1 of the 1st things done? Shine a light in Ur eye to pin pupils. What do you see in his eyes in those photos? A light. The kind of lights used in photos shoots are harsh on eyes Ur eyes pin period. Same on stage, many performers I know wear sunglasses to block the stage lights/flash from cameras. If Ur around lights that intense long enough yeah, U'll wear sunglasses often.

Another thing about this article this person is an admitted addict. Sucking a fentanyl patch is addict behaviour. Having a Dr. that prescribes fentanyl for migraines and fibromyalgia is extremely suspect. That med is not easily given out. I get migraines too and never have I had a Dr. give me fentanyl for the pain.

I think it's important to remember that no matter what has been said this may have been P's first and only dose. No matter what though, it all comes down to chronic pain. I suffer from chronic pain as well and I've been in so much pain there have been times I literally prayed to God to take my life and give it to someone in need. When you hurt just to breathe and life holds very little pleasure or joy U lose hope, no matter how much of a fighter U are.

I wish ppl would start realising he took pain medication to control pain. That's it. Not an addict. It breaks my heart that this man who gave the world his all, took all kinds of hell for various things in his life is now being turned into some street urchin type pill popper and being made into a poster child for the drug epidemic in death. It's sickening.

I'm not a Dr., only a person who has had to use these meds, and NO I'm not an addict. Dependant on them to function on a daily basis at times? Yes, and there is no shame in that. As I said I only hope to offer some comfort to someone reading this, and hopefully some insight or understanding I can't stand P being ravaged like this. Sorry for the long post.

Thank you for this, and we'll pray for you and your family. Welcome home.

sonshine said:

CherryMoon57 said:

Where did you hear this from?

I'll try to find it. I've read and heard so much in those first couple weeks i cant remember who it was.

They mentioned it on the program the other night on Reelz.

babynoz said:

I've stopped reading blog posts from random clowns on the internet. So many self appointed experts crawling out of the woodwook recently with their 20 20 hindsight that don't know Prince from a can of paint spewing their ill informed opinions as facts.

Bingo

mimi1956 said:

Bunsterdk said:

Agree, it's interesting. And extremely sad.

I have noticed it in his eyes too. Can anyone date the three pictures in the article?

ACharmed1 said:

mimi1956 said:

Bunsterdk said:

Agree, it's interesting. And extremely sad. I have noticed it in his eyes too. Can anyone date the three pictures in the article?

The shorter hair after 2004 I think, before 2012. Couldn't the light from the flashes when these pictures were taken also have caused that effect. Your pupils adjust to the light. Just a thought.

Someone responding to the article where this author was interviewed, commented that when taking photos in bright lights, that the pupils naturally constrict.

setyrmindphree said:

My impression from many of the posts on this thread is that there's some judgement about people with addiction issues. Addiction is not a character flaw. It does not mean someone is bad person. Addiction is a public health issue. I don't know when Prince started using opiates, how he was using them, or for how long. We will probably never know. If he was an addict, does that take away from all the amazing music and performances he gave to the world? Not at all, not a bit, and definetly not to me. Also, his childhood trauma probably connects to the substance use later on in his life. It's so incredibly sad to me. That he struggled, probably for for many years and did not get the help and support he needed.

beautifulnight71 said:

My impression from many of the posts on this thread is that there's some judgement about people with addiction issues. Addiction is not a character flaw. It does not mean someone is bad person. Addiction is a public health issue. I don't know when Prince started using opiates, how he was using them, or for how long. We will probably never know. If he was an addict, does that take away from all the amazing music and performances he gave to the world? Not at all, not a bit, and definetly not to me. Also, his childhood trauma probably connects to the substance use later on in his life. It's so incredibly sad to me. That he struggled, probably for for many years and did not get the help and support he needed.

I don't think it's judgement so much as it's unbelievable seeing as how Prince denounced drug use so strongly throughout his career. It's more of a shock I think. And it took him away. I think, at least for me, it takes a minute to absorb it all and wrap your brain around it.

[Edited 6/12/16 19:59pm]

CROWNS1 said:

i had a flash of discomfort when i fisrt saw him wearing shades all the time. it reminded me of cobain who did the same thing for the last year of his life. at the time i didn't considered the addiction issue i thought he was probably lonely and depressed. breaks my heart all over again.

edited for spelling

[Edited 6/12/16 20:50pm]

Wow, people are really "in the dark" about the natrual behavior of the human eye (this in regards to the completely iditoic labeling of the "pinned pupils" in the article). If you look into photography lights or stage lights, your pupils contract.

Letsgocrazy1 said:

So very sad end. When the plane did the emergency landing, his friends should have done an intervention and made him stay in the hospital. He may have been here today. His loyal fans ignore all the tabloid gossip. Maybe he didn't want to dissapoint fans. But we are not dissapointed, we wanted him to get better.

NOBODY CAN MAKE HIM DO ANYTHING! He had to want to do it himself! We all wanted him to get better, he had to want to get better too. Plus I'm still not going with hip pain being the only pain he was dealing with.

I won't discount her own personal experience with addiction, but the "pinned pupils" thing is total bullshit as any kind of evidence of anything. You can spend 10 seconds on google and find images where his pupils are huge, from the same time periods, even possibly the same photo shoots. Also her theory is clearly based on the Daily Mail, so...

I'm more interested in the fentanyl addiction stories, etc, posted on Erowid. Nothing to mess with and most users report not actually feeling "high."

mimi1956 said:

Thank you for this, and we'll pray for you and your family. Welcome home.

Thank U for that.

[Edited 6/12/16 22:01pm]

wavesofbliss said:

nursev said:

Do I really wanna read this?

No, you shouldn't! And I just don't understand why are we even debating if Prince was dependent on the drug or not. Why this whole drama over this addiction scenario! It is like somehow him taking drugs will just erase the infinitude of that man! He was human, like any and all of us. Yes, it hurts that he died from something that could have been prevented, addiction or not, but what difference does all of this speculation make? The man is gone (in the physical sense). Let him rest in peace. He gave more to the world than most of us can ever do. He brought lovers, families, strangers, communities, nations together through his music. That is the only thing that matters. He was music. He is music. Nothing else.

[Edited 6/12/16 22:50pm]

Redisabsurd said:

wrong thread sorry!

[Edited 6/13/16 0:03am]

mimi1956 said:

TopazGirl said:

When he appeared on the American Music Awards in November 2015, his expression seemed kind of frozen (not sure how to say it exactly) and his eyes had an unusual kind of wide open, vacant look. It's easy to say this in hindsight, however. And I've said this before, but the actual video of him moving around and talking it is not as noticeable, but the still shots is where you notice it more as well as the drawn look of his face. He just did not seem relaxed when he was on stage.

To me he looked haunted.

Yes, something in Prince noticeably changed for the last two years or so. His eyes were different, kinda cold as if something inside of him had died, this unexplainable, frozen look, there was definetely something different. That smile, that energy had just gone. I am still trying to figure out, what really happened to him, it is really painful and is still puzzling me, what had plagueing him so much for the last two years of his life. He wasnt the person anymore, that he had used to be and I cant imagine, it had only been pain issues that changed him so profoundly and not for the good. Something major inside of him was really kinda dying. There was something inside of him, that had died, way before he left the physical world this year. Would be nice to hear your opinions, as I keep on thinking about this alot.

jkrumes said:

as others have already stated, pupils can be affected by light or flash. What I had actually noticed, in more recent times, is that his eyes seemed glassy.

yes, that last photo of him with his arm resting on the purple piano, his glassy eyes reminded me of my cousin's glassy eyes who ended up dying from opiate overdose. and the atlanta concert promotional photo seemed to have a different "wheeee, whatever!" mood to me, but otherwise, i think all those pupil photos were from bright lights.