Many people identify anabolic steroids with sportspeople and competitive bodybuilders, although this is not the case for most users. Instead, most steroid users use them to improve their athletic performance or physical appearance.
Most steroid users use the medications as a quick way to lose weight, gain muscle, and improve their overall appearance.
Many steroid users don’t have the physique of a conventional bodybuilder.
An outpatient rehab in New York named Ascendant focuses on drug addiction, be it stimulants or anabolic steroids. So, if you know someone addicted to this substance, you can check in with them once.
What Is Steroid Addiction?
Anabolic Steroids can save your life in a variety of scenarios. Corticosteroids, for example, open the lungs to allow for more breathing during asthma attacks. Unfortunately, anabolic steroids are a type of steroid that can be extremely harmful to one’s health.
Anabolic steroids stimulate testosterone in the body, causing the body to lay down protein and increase muscle mass.
Unfortunately, anabolic steroid usage is too frequent, especially among bodybuilders and guys participating in various sports.
Of course, these steroids have good purposes, such as inducing puberty and promoting muscular growth in those suffering from severe wasting disorders. Unfortunately, however, they can quickly harm general health and cause a variety of undesirable outcomes in otherwise healthy people.
Symptoms And Warning Signs of Anabolic Steroids
Although the symptoms and warning signs of anabolic steroid addiction are not the same in men and women, some symptoms are pretty straightforward. The symptoms are:
- Facial hair growth.
- Hyperactivity.
- Enlarged breasts.
- Acne.
- Rapid weight gain.
- Baldness.
- Paranoia.
- Oily skin.
- High cholesterol.
- Blood in vomit.
- Yellow skin and eyes.
- Insomnia.
- Stunted growth.
- Infertility.
- High blood pressure.
- Bacterial infection.
- Menstrual irregularities.
- Nausea.
- Abdominal cramps.
- Stroke.
- Blood clots.
- Kidney disease.
- Liver disease.
- Heart disease.
- Aggression.
- Mood swings.
- Irritability.
- Depression.
- Suicidal ideation.
Risk Associated with Anabolic Steroids
Many people who use anabolic steroids do so in cycles. They cycle on and off anabolic steroids to avoid the medications’ undesirable side effects. Despite these ‘off’ cycles, ingesting steroids has long-term consequences.
- In studies, scientists associated anabolic steroids misuse with liver cancer, kidney illness, high blood pressure, strokes, and heart attacks.
- There have even been cases of athletes who appeared in top condition unexpectedly falling and dying because of steroids’ stress on their hearts.
- Steroids can stunt adolescents’ growth because of anabolic steroid abuse.
- Steroids can speed up the aging process of the bones.
- If adolescents haven’t fully developed puberty but are taking steroids, they may remain at their current height.
- Injecting anabolic steroids raises the risk of blood-borne infections such as HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.
Do Anabolic Steroids Have The Same Effects On Men And Women?
Anabolic steroids disrupt the body’s hormonal balance. For example, steroid use can cause an unnatural increase in testosterone levels, lowering the body’s ability to make testosterone naturally.
Some of the side effects of steroid misuse come when the user stops using the substance due to abnormally low testosterone levels in the body.
The consequences of hormonal imbalances generated by steroids frequently have the opposite effect on men and women. Yet, women who take steroids face many of the same health difficulties and risks as males.
Because of the increase in testosterone, the most prevalent adverse effect of steroid use in women is a decline in feminine qualities, including the emergence of male characteristics. Health hazards associated with fertility and fetal health are more common in women.
People’s hair falls out, their body produces less natural testosterone and converts it to estrogen, and their pecs finally become squishy-soft.
Men’s endocrine system may chase its tail, trying to acclimatize to the steroids they’re taking, and their testicles will start shrinking until they stop working entirely.
How To Help Someone With An Anabolic Steroid Addiction?
Many users are unaware of anabolic steroids have a high risk for addiction.
As a schedule III controlled substance, steroids have a high potential for addiction, similar to substances like codeine and ketamine. As a result, addiction victims engage in steroid habits that lead them to prioritize their drug use above anything else.
You can always use the following ways to help someone with an anabolic steroid addiction:
1: Intervention
For those afraid to seek help, staging an intervention may provide a moment of clarity. Hiring a professional interventionist is highly suggested because aggressive conduct shows steroid addiction. In addition, professionals can assist loved ones in preparing for probable complications and maintaining order throughout the intervention.
2: Therapy
Many steroid users are apprehensive about seeking therapy for their condition. Psychological therapies always work the best in treating anabolic steroid addiction. Once you find out the root of the addiction, it will be much easier for you to help the person get rid of it because alternatives will be available to serve their needs.
3: Exercise
People can always buy exercise equipment for home gym and give their body a naturally stunning physique they’ve always dreamt of. But, this time, they will not use artificial anabolic steroids to boost their muscle growth, which is a pretty brave move. So, exercising is also a treatment option to help an anabolic steroid addiction.
4: Medication
If none of the treatment approaches mentioned above work, there are always medicines to wear off the steroid effects and start a healthy lifestyle. An endocrinologist will prescribe synthetic hormones to balance the testosterone level. There are also antidepressants, anti-inflammatory drugs, and clonidine to help people deal with steroid withdrawal symptoms.
Get Better!
It is critical to plan ahead of time if staging an intervention without the help of a professional. Family and friends should do homework before sending a loved one for treatment. They should also have a plan if the person refuses to be treated.
The Last Word on Anabolic Steroids: Symptoms and Warning Signs
However, none of these treatment approaches will work if the person addicted to the substance refuses to admit that they have a problem.
So, you can find out what problems anabolic steroid users have and confront them accordingly. If you want more help, ping us in the comment box below. We will get back to you with an answer in no time.
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