Steroid Side Effects

It seems like a bit of a cliché, but there are some common steroid side effects, and many of us already know exactly what they are without having to research and find a long list. Most people who abuse steroids are involved in some type of sport, usually men who work out at the gym.

The other groups of people who abuse steroids do include women, and most often these are women who compete in bodybuilding competitions. While women can get some definition from lifting weights, they cannot get the extreme body shape that comes from massive muscle composition without taking steroids.

The most common steroid side effects that many of us know about include:

Psychological effects - "roid rage" where people become violent or angry and have many unexpected and unpredictable outbursts. There have been some cases where men have not only abused their spouse, but have killed them during a blackout from roid rage. Mood swings are severe and happen all of the time. If you are close to someone who does steroids, you may notice a significant personality change in a short amount of time. Steroid users also tend to have a need to work out constantly and are obsessed with the foods that they eat, how much they eat and the times of the day that they eat.

Physical effects - frequent steroid abusers put themselves at risk of a plethora of dangerous side effects including liver and kidney damage, increased blood pressure and cholesterol, which can lead to heart damage and sudden heart attacks, leading to death. The user may breakout in acne all over the face and the body and may experience severe headaches and stomach aches. Heavy steroid users can experience frequent nosebleeds that seem to be impossible to stop.

More physical effects include increased sex drive in men, shrunken testicles, the inability to maintain an erection and a very low sperm count. A man who uses steroid often may also experience breast growth or "bitch tits" (Gynecomastia) and a bloated appearance to their abdomen. Women who use steroids can experience an increased hair growth all over their body including the "mono brow" bushy facial hair, deepening of the voice, decreased menstrual periods, male pattern balding (hair loss on the head), enlarged clitoris, deepening of the voice and the development of an Adam's apple, all of which are due to the increase of testosterone injected for the development of muscle mass.

Steroids are widely available on the black market and are largely unregulated. The source of these steroids is not only unknown, but it is not recommended that people use them because they may contain impurities. Unfortunately, this does not stop many people from using these drugs since they want to build their muscle mass and will take just about any avenue that they can to achieve the body they want to.

Steroid side effects are the visible result of the underlying drug use. Make no mistake, if you use steroids on a regular basis, you will definitely have these undesirable effects and many of them will be irreversible. If you know of someone who is too caught up in steroid use, then you may need to try to help them realize what kind of damage they may be doing to their body in the name of building muscle.

If you are the spouse of a steroid user, you may be living with a ticking time bomb. Steroids can make people extremely aggressive, violent and unpredictable. If you are experiencing any type of abuse, you need to get out of the situation immediately because there is no telling if your spouse is going to turn on you one day. It is important that you look after yourself first and then try to help your spouse later if they are willing to quit using and try to get some help.

It is often difficult to see the other side of the coin when you are caught up in the cycle of abuse, whether you are a spouse or the actual user. You may need to admit yourself to an actual rehab center in order to quit using the drug that you have been using, and make no mistake, steroids are a drug that is addictive and requires treatment.