The Side Effects of Steroid Use

Learn about the Side Effects of Steroid Use

Anabolic Steroids are known to muddy your body and brain. The body’s production of testosterone is controlled at the base of the brain by a group of nerve cells that are called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus also controls appetite, your blood pressure, moods as well as your reproductive ability. Athletes have been known to abuse steroids because the testosterone levels affect the aggressiveness in a person. Body Builders use them for faster muscle gain, as well as persons trying to recover from injuries quicker. Anabolic steroid abuse has been known to cause a various list of adversarial side effects. Side effects of steroid use include:

• Acne
• Breast growth in men
• Blurry vision
• Sleeplessness
• Jaundice
• Infertility
• High blood pressure
• High levels of bad cholesterol
• Easy bruising
• Weight gain
• Increased body hair
• Irritability
• Mood swings
• Aggression
• Depression

Many of the side effects of steroid use can be reversible if the person abusing the drug stops using them. Unfortunately, some effects of the drug are permanent such as the deepening of a female’s voice.

There is an unknown percentage of people that become addicted to steroids from abusing the drug. Steroid abusers tend to spend vast amounts of money and time to obtain this drug. This is an obvious indication of addiction to steroids. People who abuse this drug show signs of withdrawal symptoms as soon as they halt the usage. Some of the side effects of steroid abuse can be fatigue, decreased hunger, loss of sex drive, and craving more steroids. The worst effect being depression, which can lead to attempting suicide if this symptom is not addressed the effect has been known to last over a year after stopping the usage.

Greatest data on long-term effects of steroids originate from case reports as opposed to official epidemiological studies. Case reports show evidence of life-threatening effects appearing to be low, but more serious adversarial effects can go under acknowledged or just not reported mainly because they may ensue several years later. This drug is known to cause unpleasant permanent long-term effects of steroids such as:

• Gonad or ovary damage
• Liver disease
• Malfunctioning kidneys, heart or liver
• Roid rage (uncontrollable outburst of psychotic aggression)
• Paranoia
• Enlarged heart
• High risk of liver disease
• Liver Cancer
• Suffer delusions
• Become bald

The negative effects of steroids are vast. As aforementioned, there are a plethora of long and short-term effects caused by anabolic steroids. None of which are positive if used for anything other than prescribed. Steroids are illegal if used without a prescription from a physician and longer for than prescribed. It is illegal for anyone to sell, possess, or dispense anabolic steroids.

Serious negative effects of steroids can be legal prosecution for illicit use. Federal Law carries a maximum one-year penalty in prison with a 1,000.00 fine just for possession. For those that chose to traffic the penalties are much worse, up to 250,000.00 on fines and maximum five years prison terms. Anabolic steroids are addictive. They cause serious physical and emotional hazards, ruin relationships.

If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.