Anabolic Steroids: The High Price of Bulk

Anabolic Steroids are man-made substances related to testosterone. It helps rebuild tissues that have become weak because of serious injuries or illness. Anabolic-androgenic steroids are used to treat the following conditions; delayed puberty, assists with weight gain after severe illness, injury or continuous infection, some types of anemia, treatment for certain types of breast cancer and prescribed to treat body wasting in patients with AIDS.

The use of anabolic steroids that is more commonly known is actually the abuse of the drug by those who are intending its use for performance enhancing capabilities or for improved physical appearance. Those who use anabolic steroids for this purpose do not take it on a continuous basis but rather cycle their ingestion of the medication (either orally or injected). When an individual is cycling the drug, they take multiple doses over a specific period of time, stop for a period of time, and start back again. Some abusers of this steroid use it in a manner that is called stacking. When abusers stack, they combine several types of steroids to maximize their effectiveness while attempting to minimize their negative effects.

There are multiple ill-side effects that are unavoidable to those who abuse anabolic steroids. Many of the side effects are irreversible. Some of these effects are liver tumors, cancer, kidney tumors and high blood pressure. More specific gender effects can include the following;

• Men: shrinking of testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness, development of breast
• Women: growth of facial hair, male pattern baldness, deepened voice
• Adolescents: growth haltered because there skeletal system matures incorrectly and they experience accelerated puberty changes.

One of the most known and possible most feared side effects of steroid abuse is “Roid Rage”. Research does show that aggression and other psychiatric side effects do occur with steroid abuse. This is believed to be because anabolic steroids alter the distribution of neurotransmitters. Extreme mood swings occur with manic-like symptoms that contribute to the violence seen with anabolic steroid abuse.

When individuals go off of the steroid, they can experience depression. This is why so many end up unsuccessful in their attempts to discontinue their abuse of the steroid. Other psychological effects noted are; paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions, and impaired judgment due to feelings of being invincible.

Even the psychological effects of anabolic steroid abuse are more exaggerated in an adolescent than an adult. This is because the steroids alter the effect of the critical psychological and physical development that occurs during adolescence. Of specific concern, the circuits in the brain that provide inhibition for impulse control develops at a very rapid pace during adolescence. Anabolic steroid abuse inhibits this development and thus prevents the ability to control violent outbursts.

References:
Benson, E. More male than male. Monitor. 33(9): 2002 p. 49.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. Steroids (Anabolic-Androgenic). Retrieved June 2007 from http://www.drugabuse.gov