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Steroids
Anabolic Steroids allow a man to break through his normal biological "ceiling" of muscularity and to soar
into a range far beyond what Mother Nature ever intended. And it seems that the more drugs he's prepared to take, the farther
beyond the ceiling he can go. The muscles of a man who is taking steroids (particularly the musculature of their upper bodies,
especially around their shoulders, chest, and upper arms) generally appear hypertrophied (enlarged) relative to those of
the natural bodybuilder. Taking high doses of steroids, therefore, makes the user look "more male than male."
This slightly disproportionate "hypermale" look alerts the eye that there's something unnatural and that steroids
may be involved. (Pope, Phillips & Olivardia, 2000).
Steroids have created athletes, actors, and models bigger
and stronger than any ordinary man, and the media have promulgated their images everywhere. These images have glorified
the steroid-pumped body, portraying it as a model of health, athletic prowess, hard work and dedication--while almost never
admitting that it was a product of dangerous chemicals.
Dangers of Steroids
Heart disease, stroke, and possibly prostate cancer with advancing age are some of the medical hazards of steroids. Even though steroids
rarely cause immediate medical problems, they are very dangerous especially because of their psychiatric effects. While
taking steroids, some men develop serious mood changes, ranging from mild irritability to severe aggressive, often accompanied
by grossly impaired judgment and grandiose beliefs. In some cases steroids can even cause psychotic delusions. Some steroid
users experience sudden bursts of aggressiveness, a phenomenon that has now entered the public vocabulary under the term
" roid rage." Other steroid users may quietly simmer with anger for long periods of time and plan their aggressive
acts in advance. Users may continue to take steroids, even when the drugs have caused them to become uncontrollably aggressive
or to abuse women. Some men have even committed violent crimes--even murders--while under the influence of steroids (Pope,
Phillips & Olivardia, 2000).
Anabolic Steroid Facts
- Over
one million American men are thought to be taking steroids.
- Steroids
are very effective in building up muscle
- Some of the muscle gains from
steroids last for a long time
- Steroid use usually goes undetected by drug
testing (when discontinued steroids they can clear the system within weeks)
- The
nonpsychiatric medical dangers of steroids are primarily long-term, not short-term
- Users
experience a withdrawal syndrome after they finish a cycle
- Steroid use
can lead to other more addictive substance abuse
(Nubain, Ephedrine,
Pseudoephedrine, Phenylpropanolamine, Amphetamine, Methamphetamine, Clenbuterol and Diuretics)
Steroid Withdrawal
Symptoms
- Mild
- A man might
feel lethargic
- Increased need for sleep
- Decreased
appetite
- Markedly decreased sex drive
- Sometimes
noticeable feelings of depression and anxiety
- Severe
- Only occur in a small percentage of men but may be devastating
- Severe depressive symptoms
- Possibility
of suicide
"Anabolic
Steroid Dependence"
Some users, experiencing an increase in depression and anxiety when coming
off steroids, together with the disappointment of losing some of their muscle gains, are drawn back into using steroids
over and over again. Thus, biological and psychological factors combine to perpetuate use of larger doses of these drugs,
more frequently and for longer periods, than the user had ever originally intended (Pope, Phillips & Olivardia, 2000).
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