When does steroid use become abuse

The National Institute on Drug Abuse NIDA estimates that more than a half million 8th and 10th grade students are now using these dangerous drugs, and increasing numbers of high school seniors don't believe steroids are risky. Another study indicated that 1,, Americans, or 0. These are just a couple of examples of how widespread the problem has become.

Some people are taking dietary supplements that act as steroid precursors without any knowledge of the dangers associated with their abuse. Dietary supplements are sold in health food stores, over the internet, and through mail order. People may believe that these supplements will produce the same desired effects as steroids, but at the same time avoid the medical consequences associated with using steroids. This belief is dangerous. Supplements may also have the same medical consequences as steroids.

This guide will help you understand why steroids are being abused, and how you can educate athletes and others about the dangers of these drugs. This guide will also discuss the dangerous medical effects of illegal use of steroids on health. The short-term adverse physical effects of anabolic steroid abuse are fairly well known. However, the long-term adverse physical effects of anabolic steroid abuse have not been studied, and as such, are not known.

In addition, abuse of anabolic steroids may result in harmful side-effects as well as serious injury and death. The abuser in most cases is unaware of these hidden dangers. By working together we can greatly reduce the abuse of anabolic steroids and steroid related products. It is important to recognize this problem and take preventive measures to protect athletes and other users. Anabolic steroids are synthetically produced variants of the naturally occurring male hormone testosterone.

Both males and females have testosterone produced in their bodies: males in the testes, and females in the ovaries and other tissues. The full name for this class of drugs is androgenic promoting masculine characteristics anabolic tissue building steroids the class of drugs. The common street slang names for anabolic steroids include arnolds, gym candy, pumpers, roids, stackers, weight trainers, and juice.

The two major effects of testosterone are an androgenic effect and an anabolic effect. The term androgenic refers to the physical changes experienced by a male during puberty, in the course of development to manhood.

Androgenic effects would be similarly experienced in a female. This property is responsible for the majority of the side effects of steroid use. The term anabolic refers to promoting of anabolism, the actual building of tissues, mainly muscle, accomplished by the promotion of protein synthesis.

Also, individuals in occupations requiring enhanced physical strength body guards, construction workers, and law enforcement officers are known to take these drugs. Steroids are purported to increase lean body mass, strength and aggressiveness. Steroids are also believed to reduce recovery time between workouts, which makes it possible to train harder and thereby further improve strength and endurance.

Some people who are not athletes also take steroids to increase their endurance, muscle size and strength, and reduce body fat which they believe improves personal appearance.

Doctors may prescribe steroids to patients for legitimate medical purposes such as loss of function of testicles, breast cancer, low red blood cell count, delayed puberty and debilitated states resulting from surgery or sickness.

Veterinarians administer steroids to animals e. They are also used in veterinary practice to treat anemia and counteract tissue breakdown during illness and trauma. For purposes of illegal use there are several sources; the most common illegal source is from smuggling steroids into the United States from other countries such as Mexico and European countries. Smuggling from these areas is easier because a prescription is not required for the purchase of steroids.

Less often steroids found in the illicit market are diverted from legitimate sources e. Anabolic steroids dispensed for legitimate medical purposes are administered several ways including intramuscular or subcutaneous injection, by mouth, pellet implantation under the skin and by application to the skin e.

These same routes are used for purposes of abusing steroids, with injection and oral administration being the most common. People abusing steroids may take anywhere from 1 to upwards of a times normal therapeutic doses of anabolic steroids.

This often includes taking two or more steroids concurrently, a practice called "stacking. This practice is called "cycling. Please see "Appendix A" for additional information on patterns of anabolic steroid abuse. Doses of anabolic steroids used will depend on the particular objectives of the steroid user.

Athletes middle or high school, college, professional, and Olympic usually take steroids for a limited period of time to achieve a particular goal. Others such as bodybuilders, law enforcement officers, fitness buffs, and body guards usually take steroids for extended periods of time.

The length of time that steroids stay in the body varies from a couple of days to more than 12 months. There is increasing concern regarding possible serious health problems that are associated with the abuse of steroids, including both short-term and long-term side effects see Appendix B. Short-term side effects may include sexual and reproductive disorders, fluid retention, and severe acne.

The short-term side effects in men are reversible with discontinuation of steroid use. Steroid abuse is also frequently complicated by abuse of other substances taken either as part of a performance-enhancing regimen such as stimulants or to help manage pain-, sleep-, or mood-related side effects such as opioids, cannabis, and alcohol.

Because of this complicated mix of issues, treatment for steroid abuse necessarily involves addressing all related mental and physical health issues and substance use disorders simultaneously. This may involve behavioral treatments as well as medications to help normalize the hormonal system and treat any depression or pain issues that may be present.

If symptoms are severe or prolonged, hospitalization may be needed. National Institutes of Health. Stacking is taking multiple types of Steroids at once or mixing oral and injectable formulations. Many Steroid abusers believe stacking increases results, but this method has not been scientifically proven. In the beginning of the cycle, users start with a low dose and gradually increase to a maximum dose mid-cycle. In the second half of the cycle, users slowly taper down their Steroid dose.

According to the leading scientific research, none of these methods have been verified; they have not been shown to reduce the risks or side effects of Anabolic Steroid use. The Food and Drug Administration estimates that , young men and , young women in high school abuse Anabolic Steroids every year. Even though males make up the majority of those abusing Steroids, women and girls also turn to the drugs for a better physique.

In an article for the New York Times, one woman described her decision to take Steroids as a teenager. Dionne Roberts was a popular cheerleader who wanted six-pack abs. Being in shape is not just a masculine thing. So I mentioned to a friend on the football team that I was interested in [Steroids]. The drugs induced aggression and a serious depression that sent her to the hospital, where she was placed on suicide watch.

Roberts eventually moved past her difficulties with Steroids and graduated college. Although rare, people taking large amounts of Anabolic Steroids may overdose. Steroid overdose may lead to coma, heart attack, and stroke. Steroids act as mood elevators, which results in effects similar to Antidepressants. It results in the production and release of the female hormone estrogen at rapid, elevated levels.

The larger the dosage of Anabolic Steroids and the longer the duration of their abuse, the more severe the symptoms of estrogen rebound will be. Anabolic Steroids can reduce the pleasurable effects of certain drugs. The diminished high caused by Steroids leads many users to take higher doses of other drugs than they normally would. This increases the risk of overdose. Steroid users abusing other drugs often turn to Stimulants, like Cocaine and Adderall, for an energy boost and an appetite reduction.

Abusing alcohol while taking Steroids often leads to excessive aggression. Taking these substances together may have a long-term impact on behavior and can worsen an addiction. People abusing alcohol and Steroids together may be more likely to commit violent crimes.

Some people become addicted to alcohol or other drugs in an attempt to self-medicate unwanted side effects of Anabolic Steroids, like insomnia and aggression. Learn More. Approximately 1 in 50 students in the 12th grade used Steroids in This seemingly low proportion accounts for tens of thousands of high school seniors.

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