Steroid Abuse

What is steroid abuse? Depending on who you ask you will find the answer to this question can vary quite a bit. Defining steroid abuse can actually be very difficult compared to other types of abuse. For example, alcohol abuse is very easy to spot. An individual who drinks all day is going to stick out like a sore thumb, and while some can get away with it for a time eventually the abuse shows through. This is not the case with steroid abuse. Anabolic steroids do not have the ability to alter our mind or perception like alcohol or other drugs. There is of course the issue of roid rage that often comes up, but at steroidabsue.com we cannot give that argument any credence. There is no scientific or medical evidence to support the idea of roid rage. In fact, there is strong evidence that supports it doesn’t exist. At steroidabuse.com we are only interested in hard facts.

Steroid Abuse by Law:

In the United States anabolic androgenic steroids are classified as Schedule III controlled substances by way of the Steroid Control Acts of 1990 and 2004. There are several countries that have similar laws, but very few are as strict as the U.S. Under U.S. law any use that is not protected by law is considered steroid abuse. If the individual causes no harm to himself or anyone else, by law it is still steroid abuse and a violation of a federal act. In order to legally use anabolic steroids in the U.S. you must have a prescription and it must be granted on the basis of medical need. Further, the medical need must be an approved point of use by the U.S. government, specifically the FDA. U.S. law classifies any use that does not fall under this criterion as steroid abuse.

Steroid Abuse – Medical Definition:

Anabolic androgenic steroids are synthetic versions of specific naturally produced hormones by the human body. By classification anabolic steroids are labeled as drugs. A drug is defined in two parts, a substance used to treat, remedy or relieve an ailment or condition, and to cause a reaction that would otherwise not occur without its intervention. Anabolic steroids most certainly fit the bill for the first part of the definition. They are used to treat numerous conditions such as anemia, muscle wasting diseases, osteoporosis and countless other conditions. Most commonly, anabolic steroids are used to treat low level hormone conditions such as low testosterone. However, anabolic steroids do not necessarily meet the second part of the drug definition as they are not creating a reaction that is unnatural to the human body. Remember, you already produce steroidal hormones.

How does this all fit into a discussion revolving around steroid abuse? In many medical circles steroid abuse is defined as any use that is not for the purpose of treating an ailment. If there is no direct physical need than any use is steroid abuse. By this medical definition the use of anabolic steroids for the purpose of performance enhancement is considered steroid abuse. If no harm befalls the individual it is still considered steroid abuse. There is, however, a problem with this definition based on the idea of need. Women who wish to be men (transgender) are prescribed anabolic steroids. They are legally prescribed anabolic steroids on the basis of desire. We can also look at many other medical practices that are not deemed abuse while they hold not actual medical need such as liposuction, breast enlargement, Botox or any other physique altering medical practice.

Steroid Abuse – A Sane Definition:

When defining steroid abuse there is really only one definition that makes any sense. If the supplementation of anabolic steroids causes you no harm or anyone around you this is not steroid abuse. If the supplementation of anabolic steroids causes you harm or anyone around you this is steroid abuse. This is the only definition that makes any sense, but unfortunately we have not reached the point to where such sanity prevails.

Signs of Steroid Abuse:

The signs of steroid abuse are more or less the possible side effects of use itself. There are many possible side effects but they are dependent on the steroids being used, the individual’s genetic response as well as on the total dosing. You cannot say if you supplement with X steroid you will in fact fall prey to Y effect. It does not work that way. Internal side effects can include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and liver damage; however, there’s more to say. A healthy adult who supplements responsibly while putting in some effort to controlling his blood pressure and cholesterol can do so without any adverse effect. This is assuming healthy readings existed before use was undertaken. As for liver damage, only certain anabolic steroids can promote liver stress, but this can also be avoided with educated use.

Beyond the internal effects, there are direct outward side effects that are possible such as gynecomastia (male breast enlargement), water retention, acne, hair loss and body hair growth. Again, gynecomastia and water retention can be avoided even with supraphysiological doses if proper supplementation practices are followed. If the individual avoids such effects as well as maintains a healthy blood pressure and cholesterol reading can this be labeled as steroid abuse? Of course not, and there is no argument to support it being actual abuse. As for the other effects mentioned, such as acne, hair loss and body hair growth, these are largely dependent on genetic response due to the use of steroids with high levels of androgenic activity. Many will not see such effects occur. Others, such as in the case of hair loss may very well find hair loss accelerated if they are predisposed to male pattern baldness. They were going to lose their hair anyway, but the use of steroids may speed it up. When we look at the issue of steroid abuse, any argument or discussion must include this type of relevant information.

Steroid Abuse – Making Sense of it All:

There are no tell, tell signs of steroid abuse like there are with recreational drugs and this can make true abuse a little difficult to spot. However, here at steroidabuse.com we want to look at all aspects of steroid use, and in doing so, give you a better understanding of the topic at hand. Some of what you find will be nothing new, but much of it promises to be information that you’ve never been told. There is so much to discuss when it comes to this topic, and we guarantee when it comes to steroid abuse you may very well find what you once believed will rapidly change once exposed to the truth.

Featured Pages

Steroid Abuse and Teens
Many teens ask for steroid advice from Internet bodybuilding boards, providing the perfect opportunity for mature board members to talk them out of it.

Coming Off Steroids
Steroids are powerful hormones, and sometimes simply discontinuing usage can cause as many problems as using them.

Steroid Abuse in Sports
The use of performance enhancing drugs dates as far back to the original Olympic Games, and attempts to increase testosterone were documented as early as 776 BC.