The Effects of Steroid Addiction

People take steroids for a number of reasons. The most common reason as to why people take steroids is to enhance their performances. Many athletes usually use the steroids so that they can enhance their proficiency in the sport that they take part in. In United States, the number of young American using Steroids has been on the increase year in year out. It is the continued use of the steroids and the other hard drugs that has led to addiction among many youngsters. This has led to a number of crisis meetings the stake holders. For instance the American Academy of Pediatrics has already issued a statement and condemned the use of steroids among the adolescents and has called for the responsible government agencies to reign on the people responsible for this mess.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has called on the coaches and parents to take a strong stand against the winning at all cost mentality even if it means that the athletes use steroids. The steroid use has been on a steady increase in the United States since 1993. According to the recent report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as many as one million United States students have used steroids for a period of between 8 and 12 weeks. Other than making the users have unshakable confidence and helping in the building up of muscles, steroids have adverse effects on the seasoned users. These steroids can lead to the damage of the liver and hurt, cause extreme mood swings, weight gain, acne and stunt bone development just but to mention a few. Coming off from the steroids can be as equally dangerous as using them because it can lead to the loss of lives.

Young people and the adolescents are the most vulnerable

Steroids can be defined as synthetic substances that can be likened to the testosterone. Testosterone is a human hormone that naturally occurs in male. It is the hormone that is responsible for certain masculine features in men. Steroids on the other hand are legal drugs that are meant to be used by medical experts to help patients suffering from the muscle wasting diseases like AIDS to gain strength. Body builders and athletes take steroids so that they can increase in strength and muscle mass. The effectiveness of the steroids usually declines after being continually used. This is why the experienced athletes and body builders usually inject them in their bodies for between 8 and 12 weeks. These patterns are referred to as cycles. The athletes do this so that they can give their bodies rest before they can begin another cycle.

Various medical research carried out have shown that steroid addiction can lead to a powerful psychological dependency. The research further states that stopping the use of steroids by the addicts can lead to premature deaths, that is why the medical and drug experts advocate for the careful medical oversight. Sudden withdrawals can lead to severe depression that can last for up to 6 months. There have been reports that some young athletes have had to commit suicide after trying to come out of the steroid addiction. Withdrawal from steroid addiction has been linked to the suicidal behavior and thoughts among many adolescents.

According to the United States government studies, suicide is the third leading cause of death among teenagers and adolescent aged between and 24 years. Steroid use among the teenagers and adolescents is not limited to the athletes only. Some youngsters have been found to take these steroids for medical reasons. Youngsters suffering from muscle dysmorphia have been found to use steroids. Muscle dysmorphia is a body disorder in men that is similar to the anorexia disorder in women. Men suffering from this disorder usually appear weak. Most adolescents suffering from this disorder have been found to inject themselves with steroids so that they can enhance their muscles.

Steroid addiction is very dangerous given the side effects associated with it. People addicted to these drugs have been known to harbor suicidal thoughts. The withdrawal symptoms of this drug also pose huge problems to the addicts. It is therefore important for people especially the young athletes to totally avoid using these steroids. They may give desirable results initially but they are very dangerous in the long run.