Steroid Addiction: Short & Long-Term Effects

Whenever we hear the term Steroids and addiction, the first thing we can think about is people using asteroids to gain an idea of physics. However, it is true that steroids boost your physical performance. Unfortunately, it is also true that overusing can become an addiction.

If the individual is never satisfied by using steroids to build muscles, they will start overdoing it. This will escalate the negative impact on the body, social, financial, and mental health.

Although steroids are not actually illicit drugs, their overdoses result in addiction, and the symptoms are quite similar to what you can see from normal drug addiction.

People do understand that steroids are harmful to the body but are still unaware of the other information. So, we took this opportunity to share with you what we know about steroids.

Perhaps this piece of information might help you better understand Steroids.

The term Steroids, we are familiar with, is the short name for the Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS). They are natural and synthetic drugs derived from the male hormone testosterone. These steroids are performance enhancers and are abused by athletes to enhance their physical performances.

The enhancing properties include:

• Increasing muscle mass well beyond the limit.
• Reduce body fat, making your body leaner.
• Enhancing physical capabilities.

The concept behind taking steroid work on the principle of taking steroids 10 to 100 times higher than what your body can produce naturally. This is the reason why your body can enable such tenacity and gain muscles quickly.

Here are a few reasons why people use steroids.

• Enhances athletic abilities.
• Improve health and fitness.
• Desire to look more buffed up.
• Overcoming low self-esteem and negative self-image.

However, sometimes people can go overboard with the doses, and a simple habit of taking steroids for health benefits can become an addiction.

Steroid addiction can be dangerous to health as your body is not designed to handle testosterone hormone beyond a certain level. This starts changing your bodies in many ways.

For instance, men will start growing breasts, and women will grow facial hairs. To avoid such a thing happening to you or your family member, seek professional help when you realize you are addicted to steroids.

How Are Steroids Addictives?

Contrary to all the benefits steroids offer, they can be addictive. However, since they do not cause a HIGH or BUFF sensation, steroid addiction is not similar to conventional addiction.

But people who have fallen into steroid addiction have been seen with psychological and physical changes.

The phenomenon of physical changes has been well-documented for many types of steroids. People whose body has grown dependent on steroids will experience withdrawal when the use of steroids stops.

The withdrawal symptoms can be seen in the form of:

• Headaches.
• Depression.
• Fatigue.
• Decrease libido.
• Anorexia.
• Steroid cravings.

Apart from physical dependence, people become psychologically dependent. This results in the person suffering from Muscle Dysmorphia. It’s a behavioral condition where people start thinking of themselves to be distorted.

For instance, if a person is suffering from Muscle Dysmorphia, thinks that they are fat and obese even though they have a muscular body and lean silhouette.

Steroids are synthetic hormones prescribed by doctors. These steroids act like supplements if a person is not secreting enough hormones to function properly. The sole purpose of steroids is to create a hormonal balance in the body.

That means there are not usually any side effects. As long as the patient needs the steroid to maintain the balance in the body. The body will be able to handle externally induced hormones.

However! Prolonged treatment at high doses can cause problems in some people.

Below we have listed down the potential side effects a person can experience with the extended use of steroids.

Unfortunately, oral steroids can cause weight gain. The higher the dose, the more likely you will experience these side effects. In fact, weight gain is the most common side effect of taking steroids.

It is believed that when you are taking steroids, you must involve yourself in physical activity. This ensures that extra steroids are absorbed by the body. If you fall short of the weight exercises, the excess steroids will accumulate inside the body resulting in weight gain.

Acne is a clear sign of steroid side effects. When a person is taking a high dosage of steroids, acne becomes one of the dominant physical characteristics.

However, acne is not the conventional one. This acne is mostly seen on the chest and are all of the same size and shape.

Trouble sleeping has both short and long-term side effects. When a person takes steroids, it stimulates your hormones.

The hormones keep the body active; hence, even if you are trying to sleep, you will find that as long as the effects of the steroid linger, your body will never find rest.

Higher blood pressure is quite common for people who have been taking steroids for the long term. Although high blood pressure is connected with steroid addiction, it is quite rare. We still need more studies to confirm this.

If you are concerned about your addiction to steroids, then treatment is necessary. Any further delay will only make things worse for you. You might be anxious about your muscle loss. Perhaps that may be one thing that prevents you from stopping steroids.

However, you must understand the immediate benefit of steroids cannot put weight on longer-term side effects it will have on your body.

The treatment is at your disposal. There are different programs and remedies to help you with your steroid addiction; you just need to take that first step.