When you hear the word steroids, what comes to mind? A good drug to help heal moderate to severe medical conditions or a bad drug used to enhance one’s physical appearance and competitive endurance?
The thought that comes to most of our minds is bad drug. Many of us know that steroids have been stigmatized into the conception of being a harmful drug because of the people who have chosen to abuse it. Today, numerous accounts involving the usage of steroids are very common amongst professional athletes such as baseball players, body builders, and track stars who have been accused of—and in some cases admitted to – using steroids. Knowing that steroids are prohibited among most governing bodies of sports, this is another factor that contributes to why we view steroids as something harmful in today’s society.
Not only have iconic people abused the usage of steroids but possibly your friends, family, and peers have abused the drug as well. In a recent study, 78.4 percent of steroid users were noncompetitive body builders and non-athletes.
Because of the people that have both subsidized and demoted the usage of steroids, there are many misconceptions about what steroids are, how they work, and why they are dangerous. Even though you, yourself, may never have experimented with steroids, this objective information will hopefully inform you of what steroids are and how the drug can affect people both negatively and positively.
Definition and Process of Steroids
There are many different types of steroids but the most commonly known steroids are anabolic steroids. Anabolic steroids are an artificial copy of the male hormone testosterone. Testosterone is naturally produced by the human body. Once injected, the drug’s anabolic or “muscle-building” effects help the body retain protein, a necessary building block for the growth of muscles, bones, and skin. Anabolic steroids cause an increase of muscle mass, strength, and stamina.
Negative Effects from Steroid Usage
Over a course of time, anabolic steroids eventually cause naturally produced testosterone to deteriorate causing hormones to malfunction. Hormones that control mood, reproduction, and appetite are just a few that are strongly affected by steroid use.
One of the most common hormonal defects caused by steroid use is the term “roid rage”. Roid rage can be defined as uncontrolled outbursts of anger, frustration, or combativeness. When too much testosterone enters the body, it can cause your mood hormones to exceed in activity causing a short and extremely sensitive temper.
Another psychological effect caused by steroids is depression. Once your body is addicted to steroids, it can take a long time for all of your hormonal levels to function normally again. For example, if a person has been using steroids for more than 2 months, their body becomes addicted to the synthetic testosterone supplying their muscles. If that person stops the supply, their hormonal levels become dysfunctional because the natural testosterone that was weakened by the synthetic testosterone is too weak to function on its own.With almost no natural testosterone left, this would cause someone’s estrogen levels to increase causing depression.
In order to reproduce natural testosterone, almost all “ex-steroid” users need to be prescribed post cycle drugs that will help suppress estrogen levels and start building natural testosterone. If someone does not seek medical help after using steroids, there is a very likely chance that they will be depressed until their body fully restores its natural testosterone levels on its own.
Other psychological effects caused by steroid use include various forms of mental illness such as mania and schizophrenia. It is statistically proven that people who use anabolic steroids have a higher suicide rate than the general population.
Positive Effects from Steroid Usage
Since the discovery of anabolic steroids in the 1930’s, they have been used for many medical purposes.
· Stimulates the growth of blood cells for people who have leukemia or kidney failure
· Helps treat children that have growth failure in their muscles by causing them to grow normally
· Medical patients with AIDS or cancer can create an appetite and are able to preserve and increase muscle mass
· Prevents bone loss in elderly men
· Produces secondary male traits such as a deeper voice and facial hair for males who have Gender Identity Disorder
· Produces secondary female traits such as breasts and reproduction genes for females who have Gender Identity Disorder
· Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
· Increases height and weight in boys who have delayed puberty
Although steroids can be used for medical reasons, many people choose to abuse the drug. Anabolic steroids can be very harmful to the body and because of the people who manipulate the drug; it is one of the most controversial topics within the fitness industry. Many anti-steroid users believe that hard training, a healthy diet, and good rest will have the same affects on your body just like steroids, just with out all of the harmful side affects. 