Misuse of Anabolic Steriods and its effects on Health

ANABOLIC STEROIDS:
Anabolic steroids are also known as anabolic-androgenic steroids. Anabolic steroids are made up male sex hormones. “Anabolic” refers to muscle building and androgenic refers to increased male sex characteristics. Sometimes athletes and body builder use these steroids to increase their muscle mass.

How to use anabolic steroids:
They do have legitimate medical uses. Sometimes doctor prescribe anabolic steroids to treat some hormonal problems of men, delayed puberty and muscle loss from some diseases. These steroids only be used by doctor’s prescription, it is illegal to use anabolic steroids for personal use. People can take these steroids orally, inject them or apply them on skin.

Abuses OF anabolic steroids:
Some athletes often use these steroids by the information gained from some other athletes and websites, gym trainer, coaches, as a result they don’t have enough access to medical information. However people of all ages misuse AAS including young boys who suffer from body dimorphic disorder. This is a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance. These flaws are often unnoticeable to others. Taking anabolic steroids on a daily basis with doctors’ advice is a dangerous drug-habit these doses are 10 to 100 times higher than the doses used to treat medical condition. Abuses of these steroids can also be fatal in some cases.

SIDE EFFECTS OF ANABOLIC STERIODS:
There is variety of side effects caused by the abuse of AAS. It can affect hormonal system of both male and female, in male it can cause sterility, breast enlargement called gynecomastia, shrinking of the testicles and baldness, in female it increases body hair, permanent deepens the voice and temporary decrease in menstrual cycle. Other side effects are liver damage, kidney problems, changes in cholesterol, heart problems including heart attacks. The liver can grow tumors and develop cancer. Steroid abusers may also develop, a rare condition called peliosis hepatis in which blood filled cysts appear on the liver. Both the tumors and cysts can rupture and cause internal bleeding.

ANABOLIC STEROIDS AND MENTAL HEALTH:
It can also produce psychiatric effect, including depression, aggression and mania. The unwanted behavior effects of steroids are widely known, who misuse anabolic steroids reports more anger issues, fights, verbal aggression and violence. A-A-S using individuals are more likely to be antisocial, paranoid, and schizotypal. The study published by Human Psychopharmacology in 1990 in which three anabolic steroid users and three none anabolic steroid users were monitored for months were significantly were significantly more hostile and aggressive at all times ompared to the non‐users. Despite this, self‐rated aggression did increase significantly in steroid users more hostile and aggressive at all times compared to the non‐users. Despite this, self‐rated aggression did increase significantly in steroid users. There are several reports of suicide in teenage steroid users because they face mood swings, hypomania mania, along with irritability, recklessness and racing thoughts .AAS are also works as “potent mood elevators” there by mimicking the effects of antidepressant. When a steroid cycle is stopped many athletes experienced other hormones released in high amount. Once the steroid cycle is stopped estrogen production which had been suppressed during the steroid cycle is now released as if “a dam broke”. This effect is known as “estrogen rebound”. Anabolic steroids are addictive because people start depending on them, if they stop using they will experience tiredness, loss appetite and restlessness, depression which can also sometimes lead to suicide or self-harm.

By: Sakina Raza